Frequently Asked Questions about Unified Diff MCP Server

Q: What is the Unified Diff MCP Server?

A: The Unified Diff MCP Server is a tool that provides beautiful and visual code diff comparisons within Claude Desktop. It enhances code review and documentation processes.

Q: What is MCP?

A: MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It’s an open protocol that standardizes how applications provide context to Large Language Models (LLMs).

Q: How do I install the Unified Diff MCP Server?

A: You can install it via Smithery using the command bunx @smithery/cli install @gorosun/unified-diff-mcp --client claude --config '{...}' or manually by cloning the repository and building it.

Q: What are the key features of this server?

A: Key features include HTML diff visualization, GitHub Gist integration for easy sharing, local file output (PNG/HTML), auto-delete functionality for temporary diffs, cross-platform support, high performance with Bun runtime, and enhanced security options.

Q: What are the optimal prompts to use with this server?

A: Some optimal prompts include: ‘Please visualize and preview the following diff:’, ‘Please visualize and save the following diff to a file:’, and ‘Please visualize this diff with high security:’ depending on your desired output.

Q: How do I configure the server with Claude Desktop?

A: You need to modify the claude_desktop_config.json file. The location varies based on your operating system (macOS or Windows). Add a configuration block under mcpServers.

Q: What environment variables can I configure?

A: You can configure GITHUB_TOKEN for GitHub Gist integration, DEFAULT_AUTO_OPEN to auto-open generated files, and DEFAULT_OUTPUT_MODE to set the default output format (html or image).

Q: How does the security feature work?

A: The server offers multi-level security options, including secret Gists, password protection, and auto-delete functionality. You can choose from Low, Medium, and High security levels.

Q: What if I don’t have a GitHub token?

A: If a GitHub token isn’t available, the system falls back to local files. HTML is saved as a temporary file, and it automatically opens in your browser.

Q: What clients are supported by this server?

A: Supported clients include Claude Desktop (Primary), Claude Code (CLI), VS Code with MCP Extension, and Cline, among other MCP clients.

Q: What is the purpose of the auto-delete feature?

A: The auto-delete feature enhances security and manages temporary diff files by automatically removing them after a set duration (e.g., 30 minutes). This prevents sensitive information from lingering.

Q: Can I customize the output format?

A: Yes, you can customize the output format to either HTML or PNG, depending on your needs. The default is HTML.

Q: What kind of parameters can be used with this tool?

A: Common parameters include diff (required), format (side-by-side or line-by-line), showFileList, highlight, oldPath, newPath, and autoOpen. GitHub Gist-specific parameters include expiryMinutes and public, while local file-specific parameters include outputType.