What changes look like¶

Each case below shows the note in the older commit, the note in the newer commit and the redline PDF made from the two with the built-in redline template, in the blackline style and in the side-by-side style. The examples live in examples/_redline/, and scripts/render_redline_examples.py makes the pictures from them in a temporary git repository. The change summary at the start of every redline is left out of these pictures; Styles and options shows it.

Summary¶

Text¶

Words inside a paragraph¶

Inserted words are blue with a double underline, removed words vermilion and struck through. A replaced word is shown as the old word followed by the new one. Neighbouring changes that are only split by a short word are joined into one, so a rewritten phrase reads as one replacement. Words are split at spaces, so a full stop or comma belongs to the word before it.

Updates are installed once a week by the owner of the device. A lost device is reported to the service desk within one day.

Updates are installed once a month by the IT team. A lost or stolen device is reported to the service desk within one day.

Inserted and removed paragraphs¶

A paragraph that is only in one version is marked as a whole: underlined when it is inserted, struck through when it is removed. The bar in the margin marks the group of changed blocks.

The policy applies to all devices.

Personal devices may be used for email if a passcode is set.

Every team names one contact for device questions.

The policy applies to all devices.

Every team names one contact for device questions.

The contacts meet once per quarter to review this policy.

Moved text¶

A paragraph that was removed in one place and inserted in another with the same or nearly the same text is shown as moved: purple and struck through where it was, purple and underlined where it is now. A label at each end names the section of the other end, with its page, and links to it. When the moved text was also edited, the new place shows the word changes too.

Paragraph one sets the scope of the policy.

Paragraph two lists the rules.

Paragraph three names the exceptions.

Paragraph four explains the review.

Paragraph two lists the rules.

Paragraph three names the exceptions.

Paragraph four explains the review.

Paragraph one sets the scope of the policy.

Replaced paragraphs¶

Blocks are only compared word by word when they are alike: at least half of their words match. A paragraph replaced by one with a different content is shown as a removed paragraph followed by an inserted one, not as a mix of single words. A changed paragraph next to an inserted or removed one is still compared word by word.

## Rules

Updates are installed by the owner of the device.

## Reviews

The policy is reviewed every year.

## Rules

The owner of the policy is the IT team.

## Reviews

The policy is reviewed every year.

Headings¶

Changed, inserted and removed headings¶

A changed heading keeps its place and number and shows the word changes, also in the table of contents. An inserted heading is marked and gets a number; the table of contents marks it "new". A removed heading is shown struck through but is not a heading any more, so it gets no number, does not shift the numbering of the following sections, and is listed struck through, as "removed", in the table of contents.

## Scope

All devices of the team.

## Old devices

Devices older than five years are replaced.

## Rules

Lock the screen.

## Scope and purpose

All devices of the team.

## Rules

Lock the screen.

## Reviews

The policy is reviewed every year.

Heading level¶

A heading that changes its level keeps its text and gets a small label with the old and the new level. The numbers of the heading and of the headings below it change with it.

## Scope

All devices of the team.

## Duties

The owner keeps the device up to date.

### Details

Updates are installed once a month.

## Scope

All devices of the team.

### Duties

The owner keeps the device up to date.

### Details

Updates are installed once a month.

Lists and tasks¶

List items¶

Lists are compared item by item, so each item keeps its marker and its place. Items are paired by similarity, so a changed item next to an inserted or removed one is still compared word by word. An item that only changed its place in the list is shown as moved. Nested items work the same way. The numbers of an ordered list come from the newer version.

- Lock the screen.
- Install updates once a week.
- Report a lost device:
    - Call the service desk.
    - Send an email.
- Use the password manager.

1. Open the form.
2. Print the form.
3. Sign the form.

- Lock the screen.
- Install updates once a month.
- Report a lost device:
    - Call the service desk.
    - Fill in the loss form.
    - Send an email.

1. Open the form.
2. Sign the form.

Tasks¶

A task that was checked or unchecked keeps its checkbox, which shows the new state, and gets a "now checked" or "now unchecked" label.

- [ ] Read the policy
- [ ] Sign the form

- [x] Read the policy
- [ ] Sign the form

Tables¶

Table cells¶

A changed cell shows the word changes inside the table. Padding and column widths in the Markdown source do not matter.

| Device | Owner | Review |
| ------ | ----- | ------ |
| Laptop | Anna  | yearly |
| Phone  | Ben   | yearly |

| Device | Owner | Review |
| ------ | ----- | ------ |
| Laptop | Anna  | daily  |
| Phone  | Chris | yearly |

Table rows¶

Tables are compared row by row and cell by cell. An inserted row is underlined as a whole, a removed row stays in place struck through, and a column that was added is marked in every cell. The table stays a table, also when the source columns get wider.

| Device | Owner | Review |
| ------ | ----- | ------ |
| Laptop | Anna  | yearly |
| Phone  | Ben   | yearly |

| Device | Owner | Review    |
| ------ | ----- | --------- |
| Laptop | Anna  | quarterly |
| Phone  | Ben   | yearly    |
| Tablet | Dana  | yearly    |

Callouts¶

Text inside a callout¶

A change inside a callout that stays in place shows the word changes inside the callout box.

> [!warning] Lost devices
> Report a lost device within one day.

> [!warning] Lost devices
> Report a lost device within one hour.

Inserted and removed callouts¶

A callout that is only in one version is marked as a whole, title and body together.

> [!note]
> This note is removed.

Text between the callouts.

Text between the callouts.

> [!tip]
> This tip is new.

Images and embeds¶

Images¶

A replaced image is shown twice: the old one faded under a "Removed figure" label with its file name, the new one under an "Inserted figure" label. Size attributes such as |300 are kept. A changed Mermaid diagram is shown the same way, with both drawings.

The chart shows the visits per month.

![[chart.png|300]]

The drawing shows the three shapes.

![[shapes.svg|300]]

Image files with the same name¶

Images are compared by their file content, not only by the name in the note. An image file that keeps its name and path but has a new picture is shown as replaced, in the same way as an image that was renamed. The same holds for SVG files, embedded PDF pages, draw.io and Excalidraw drawings, and images inside embedded notes. Files with the same bytes in both versions are not marked, even when they moved to another folder. An Excalidraw drawing is compared by the picture that is drawn from it, so an edit of the drawing file that does not change the picture is not marked. The label of a drawing shows its name, such as Drawing.excalidraw.

The chart shows the visits per month.

![[visits.png|300]]

The chart shows the visits per month.

![[visits.png|300]]

Embedded notes¶

Embeds are expanded before the comparison, so a change in an embedded note shows up where it is embedded, even when the embedding note did not change.

Every account follows the shared rule:

![[Password rule]]

Every account follows the shared rule:

![[Password rule]]

Code¶

Code blocks¶

A changed code block is compared line by line. A changed line is shown twice, the old line with the removed characters struck through and the new line with the inserted ones underlined. Inserted and removed lines are marked as a whole.

Set the timeout in the config file:

```yaml
lock_after_minutes: 10
```

Set the timeout in the config file:

```yaml
lock_after_minutes: 5
```

Properties and plugins¶

Properties and Meta Bind¶

The properties block is not part of the PDF, so a property change is only visible where the text shows the value. A Meta Bind VIEW field is filled in before the comparison, so its new value is marked like any other word. The change of status from draft to approved in this example is not visible, since no field shows it.

---
version: 2.3.0
owner: Anna
status: draft
---
This is version `VIEW[{version}][text]` of the policy, owned by `VIEW[{owner}][text]`.

---
version: 2.4.0
owner: Ben
status: approved
---
This is version `VIEW[{version}][text]` of the policy, owned by `VIEW[{owner}][text]`.

Dataview¶

Dataview queries run on each version of the vault before the comparison, so the result table is compared like any table: changed values are marked in their cells, and a note that now matches the query is an inserted row.

```dataview
TABLE owner, status
FROM "Projects"
SORT file.name ASC
```

```dataview
TABLE owner, status
FROM "Projects"
SORT file.name ASC
```

Footnotes¶

Footnote text¶

A changed footnote shows the word changes in the footnote at the bottom of the page.

Passwords have at least 16 characters.[^1]

[^1]: See the old guideline.

Passwords have at least 16 characters.[^1]

[^1]: See the guideline from 2026.