ftw-patch: Unicode-Safe & Whitespace-Aware Patching¶

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ftw-patch is a robust Python-based patch utility designed for modern development workflows. While traditional patch tools often struggle with different line endings, Unicode characters, or minor formatting changes, ftw-patch provides advanced normalization to make patching reliable and predictable.

Key Features¶

Unicode-Safe: Native handling of UTF-8 and other encodings without corruption.
Smart Normalization: Optional ignore/normalize rules for non-leading whitespace and blank lines.
Context-Aware: Dynamically loads configuration from pyproject.toml or user-defined files.
Safety First: Built-in dry-run mode and flexible backup options (including timestamped suffixes).
Cross-Platform: Consistent behavior on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Installation¶

Recommended: Global Installation via pipx¶

For most users, we recommend installing the application using pipx. It installs the package into a dedicated, isolated environment while making the executable available globally in your shell.

Why pipx?

Isolation: Prevents dependency conflicts with other Python packages or your system’s Python.
Cleanliness: No more cluttering of your global site-packages.
Convenience: Binaries are automatically added to your PATH.

pipx install ftw-patch

Developer Installation (pip)¶

If you intend to use the package as a library or want to contribute to development, use a standard virtual environment:

# Create and activate a venv
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

# Install the package
pip install ftw-patch

Quick Start¶

Once installed, use the ftwpatch command to apply a unified diff:

ftwpatch my_changes.patch

Documentation¶

User Guide:

Command Line Tool ftwpatch

Developer Guides:

Externel Components

FTW Ecosystem Components

Project Information:

Indices and tables¶

Index

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