changeshighlighting

Changes highlighting is a user interface feature that marks edits made to a document, codebase, or data representation to reveal differences between versions. It helps authors and reviewers understand what was added, removed, or altered, and supports activities such as revision control, collaborative editing, and quality assurance. The approach is used in word processors with track changes or suggesting mode, code editors with inline diff or Git integrations, and web-based collaboration platforms that display live edits.

Implementation typically relies on diff algorithms that compare a prior version to a current one to produce a set of operations: insertions, deletions, and modifications. Visual cues vary: added text may be colored green or blue, deletions shown as strike-through or red, and changes may be highlighted with background colors or borders. Some systems display changes inline, others present side-by-side comparisons or a change flow. Real-time highlighting updates as edits occur; in asynchronous workflows, highlights appear after saving or syncing.

Design considerations include readability, color accessibility for color-blind users, and the ability to disable highlights. Granular options range from line-level diffs to character-level diffs in code, or semantic diffs for structured data. Benefits include faster review, reduced miscommunication, and auditable traces; drawbacks can include visual clutter, performance overhead, and ambiguity in complex edits.

See also: track changes, diff, version control, merge tools, collaborative editing.