What is WhatTheDiff?

WhatTheDiff is an innovative AI-powered tool designed to streamline the process of managing pull requests in software development. By automating the generation of pull request descriptions, providing summarized notifications for stakeholders, and offering inline code refactoring assistance, WhatTheDiff enhances collaboration between technical and non-technical team members. Its primary goal is to make the pull request process more accessible and efficient, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and involved in the development cycle.

Features

WhatTheDiff boasts a range of features that cater to the diverse needs of development teams. Below are some of the standout features:

Automated PR Descriptions

• AI-Generated Descriptions: WhatTheDiff utilizes advanced AI algorithms to automatically generate detailed descriptions for pull requests. This feature saves developers time and effort by eliminating the need to manually write descriptions for their changes.
• Plain English Summaries: The AI is capable of translating technical jargon into plain English, making it easier for all team members, regardless of their technical background, to understand the changes being made.

Rich Summary Notifications

• Simplified Notifications: Stakeholders who are not technically inclined can receive summarized notifications that highlight the key changes made in pull requests. This ensures that everyone is kept in the loop without overwhelming them with technical details.
• Multi-Language Support: WhatTheDiff supports multiple languages, allowing teams to communicate effectively across language barriers.

Beautiful Changelogs

• Public Changelog: Teams can create a visually appealing public changelog that showcases all changes made during a project. This feature is particularly useful for user-facing applications where transparency is key.
• JSON API: For internal use, teams can consume changelogs via a JSON API, allowing for easy integration with other tools and systems.

Weekly Progress Reports

• Comprehensive Summaries: WhatTheDiff generates weekly progress reports that provide a summary of all changes made during the week. This feature helps teams track their progress and assess the impact of their work over time.

Inline AI Refactoring

• Code Refactoring Assistance: Instead of merely leaving comments for other developers, WhatTheDiff offers inline AI support for code refactoring. This feature helps developers make improvements directly within the code, facilitating a more efficient review process.

Finegranular Settings

• Customizable Options: Teams can customize their experience with WhatTheDiff by adjusting settings such as skipping CI pull requests, delaying draft pull requests, and limiting token consumption. This level of customization allows teams to tailor the tool to their specific workflows.

Use Cases

WhatTheDiff is versatile and can be applied in various scenarios within software development. Here are some common use cases:

Enhancing Collaboration

For teams that have a mix of technical and non-technical members, WhatTheDiff helps bridge the communication gap. By providing simplified summaries and descriptions, non-technical stakeholders can stay informed about changes without needing to understand the technical intricacies.

Streamlining Code Reviews

WhatTheDiff simplifies the code review process by automatically generating descriptions and providing inline refactoring suggestions. This not only saves time for developers but also helps maintain a higher quality of code by encouraging thorough reviews.

Keeping Stakeholders Informed

In projects where stakeholders require regular updates, WhatTheDiff’s rich summary notifications and weekly progress reports ensure that everyone is kept in the loop. This transparency can lead to better decision-making and increased trust among team members and stakeholders.

Managing Large Teams

For larger teams with multiple contributors, WhatTheDiff can help manage the complexity of pull requests. The automated features reduce the overhead associated with writing descriptions and summarizing changes, allowing teams to focus on development rather than administrative tasks.

Supporting Agile Methodologies

In agile environments where quick iterations and frequent releases are the norm, WhatTheDiff can help teams maintain agility. The tool’s ability to quickly generate summaries and reports allows teams to adapt and respond to changes rapidly.

Pricing

WhatTheDiff offers a tiered pricing model to accommodate teams of various sizes and needs. While specific pricing details may vary, the following general structure is typically offered:

• Free Tier: Ideal for small teams or individual developers, this tier provides basic access to WhatTheDiff’s features with a limited number of tokens for processing pull requests.
• Pro Tier: Designed for growing teams, this tier includes additional tokens and advanced features such as customizable settings and priority support.
• Enterprise Tier: For larger organizations, this tier offers unlimited tokens, dedicated support, and additional customization options.

It’s important for teams to assess their needs and select the appropriate plan to maximize the benefits of WhatTheDiff while managing costs effectively.

Comparison with Other Tools

WhatTheDiff stands out in the market of pull request management tools due to its unique combination of AI-powered features and user-friendly design. Here’s how it compares with other popular tools:

Traditional Code Review Tools

• Manual Descriptions: Unlike traditional code review tools that require manual entry of descriptions, WhatTheDiff automates this process, saving time and reducing the likelihood of human error.
• Stakeholder Communication: Many traditional tools do not cater to non-technical stakeholders, whereas WhatTheDiff’s rich summary notifications ensure that everyone remains informed.

Other AI-Powered Tools

• Limited Language Support: While some AI tools may focus solely on code analysis, WhatTheDiff offers multi-language support for both code and summaries, making it more accessible to diverse teams.
• Inline Refactoring: Many AI tools do not provide inline refactoring assistance, which is a key feature of WhatTheDiff that enhances the code review process.

Collaboration Platforms

• Integration with GitHub/GitLab: WhatTheDiff integrates seamlessly with popular version control platforms like GitHub and GitLab, allowing teams to incorporate the tool into their existing workflows without disruption.
• Focus on Pull Requests: While collaboration platforms often offer a broad range of features, WhatTheDiff is specifically designed to optimize the pull request process, making it a specialized solution for teams focused on improving their code review and integration processes.

FAQ

What is WhatTheDiff?

WhatTheDiff is an AI-powered application that reviews the diff of your pull requests and generates descriptive comments about the changes in plain English.

How does WhatTheDiff work?

WhatTheDiff uses the GitHub/GitLab API to access the diff of your pull requests. It then employs an AI model to generate a description of the changes. Importantly, the tool does not store your code.

Does WhatTheDiff work with all programming languages?

Yes, WhatTheDiff supports nearly all programming languages and can explain the diff in plain English or other supported languages.

What happens if I run out of tokens?

If you run out of tokens, you can either upgrade to a larger plan or wait until your next billing cycle. The tool does not automatically upgrade your plan.

Do you store my code?

No, WhatTheDiff does not store your code or the diff of your pull requests. It only uses the GitHub/GitLab API to read the diff.

Why do you need full access to my code?

Unfortunately, there is no GitHub/GitLab permission that allows reading only the diff of a pull request. Full access is required to read the diff.

Can I downgrade my plan?

Yes, you can always downgrade to a smaller plan if your needs change.

Do unused tokens roll over to the next month?

No, unused tokens do not roll over, so it is advisable to select the smallest plan and upgrade when necessary.

Do you train your AI model with my code?

No, WhatTheDiff does not train its AI model with your code, as it does not store your code or the diff of your pull requests.

In conclusion, WhatTheDiff is a powerful tool that enhances the pull request process by automating descriptions, facilitating communication, and providing inline refactoring assistance. Its unique features and user-friendly design make it an ideal choice for teams looking to improve their code review and collaboration efforts.