How to review json data file changes in pull requests
- Step 1Get the old and new versions of the JSON file — From the pull request: click 'View file' to see the new version, and use 'Browse to the prior commit' to see the old version. Or use git: git show HEAD~1:data/fixtures.json to get the previous version.
- Step 2Paste both versions for semantic diff — Paste the old version in the left panel and the new version in the right panel. The semantic diff normalizes key order and whitespace before comparing.
- Step 3Review the semantic changes — The diff shows: new keys added to the JSON, keys removed from the JSON, and value changes for existing keys. This is cleaner than reviewing the raw git diff which shows line-level changes.
- Step 4Reference in PR comments — Describe the JSON change semantically in your PR comment: 'Added 3 new user fixture entries, changed price from 10.00 to 12.00 for product_id 42'. This is more useful than quoting raw diff lines.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make git diffs of JSON files more readable without an external tool?+
Configure git to sort JSON keys before diffing: add a .gitattributes rule and a git diff textconv filter that runs jq . (pretty-print and sort). This makes git diffs show semantic changes rather than formatting changes. The configuration is: echo '*.json diff=json' >> .gitattributes; git config diff.json.textconv 'jq --sort-keys .'.
How should I review large translation JSON file changes in PRs?+
Focus the review on: (1) new translation keys added — verify they have appropriate values in all required locales, (2) changed translation values — verify the change is intentional and the new value is correct, (3) removed keys — verify they are no longer used in the codebase.
Is the JSON file data transmitted to JAD Apps?+
No. Diffing runs entirely in your browser. Test fixtures, seed data, and translation files are never transmitted to JAD Apps servers.
Privacy first
Conversion runs locally in your browser. No file is uploaded — only metadata counters are saved for signed-in dashboard stats.