Cfg Diff

What This Skill Does

The Cfg Diff skill is a powerful utility for OpenClaw users who frequently manage complex configuration files across different environments. It moves beyond simple text comparison by understanding the semantic structure of common configuration formats like YAML, JSON, TOML, and INI. By utilizing specialized tools like jq and yq, the agent can normalize file structures before comparing them, ensuring that differences are identified based on key-value logic rather than just line-by-line formatting. This allows you to identify missing keys, value changes, and structural discrepancies across development, staging, and production environments with total confidence.

Installation

To add this skill to your OpenClaw agent, use the command: clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/sa9saq/cfg-diff. Ensure that your environment has diff installed, and optionally install jq and yq to unlock the full semantic analysis capabilities of the skill. No API keys are required for operation.

Use Cases

• Environment Synchronization: Quickly spot deviations between your local .env.local file and your production.env to prevent configuration-related bugs.
• Configuration Auditing: Audit changes made to complex YAML or JSON files during a refactoring process.
• Merge Resolution: Receive intelligent suggestions on how to merge conflicting TOML or INI files when you have divergent configuration branches.
• Validation: Confirm that two configuration files match in structure before running automated deployments.

Example Prompts

1. "Compare local_settings.yml and prod_settings.yml, and let me know if any keys are missing in the local version."
2. "I have two different JSON config files. Please show me the differences in their structure and suggest a merged version."
3. "Show me what changed in the database connection settings between these two TOML files."

Tips & Limitations

• Pre-Processing: Always ensure your files are properly formatted. The skill uses jq -S to sort keys, which helps in comparing files that might have the same content but different key orders.
• File Formats: While it supports most text-based config formats, binary formats are not supported.
• Limitations: The skill currently does not perform automatic write-backs to your files; it provides the diff and merge logic for you to review and apply manually, ensuring full human oversight.