This tool returns exitcode 0 if two Go files has equivalent source code (which is expected to have the same machine code after compilation), and returns exitcode 1 if not.

This is supposed to be used to check if a change after a code review requires an additional review. For example:

• Often in review one may accept a change and propose to optionally add a comment. In this case the author of the change has to choose between adding a comment (which leads to resetting the code review approval) or deliver the code as is. To avoid this dilemma this tool allows validating if the code change is safe (for example a change in comments).

go get github.com/xaionaro-go/safechange/cmd/safechange

safechange <file1> <file2>

/tmp/1.go:

package pkg
import (
	"fmt"

	"io"
)

import "io/ioutil"

import "errors"

func main() {
	// some comment
}

/tmp/2.go:

package pkg
import (
	"errors"
	"fmt"
	"io/ioutil"
	"io"
)

func main() {
}

/tmp/3.go:

package pkg
import (
	"errors"
	"fmt"
	"io/ioutil"
	"io"
)

func main() {
	fmt.Println("hello!")
}

Files 1.go and 2.go are equivalent:

$ safechange /tmp/1.go /tmp/2.go
$ echo $?
0

Files 1.go and 3.go are not equivalent (because 3.go has fmt.Println, while 1.go hasn't):

$ safechange /tmp/1.go /tmp/3.go
$ echo $?
1