the yellow arrow should indicate the span of a block

[zweistein]

If you compare this text:

• begin
  this line is quite similar to the other side
  and this one too
  there is a blank line here on the other side
  end

with this one:

• begin
  this line is pretty similar to the other side
  and this one also
  
  end

with Detail set to Lines and words, then it seems like there are two different blocks:

But when you copy the change, all changes are copied at once. It took me a while to realize it is indeed only one block. Turning on line numbering didn't help this time! You can tell it's one block by the trailing yellow fill next to the blue-on-gray line.
To make this more clear, I think the yellow arrow should be

1. in the middle of the block
2. accompanied by an indication of the splan of the block.

E.g.

Right now the arrow favors the first line in a block, but it's not very good at that either: it's almost between the first and second line.

I remember the same kind of confusion when I first tried ED. In the directory view, there are blocks of different files. As you compare files in a block and return to the directory view, I thought I had just compared the pair next to the yellow arrow.

[psguru]

I like your idea about indicating the span of a block. I still think, however, that the arrow should remain where it is now: pointing to the middle of the first line in the block. The change has been implemented in the latest build of 3.4 Beta.

[zweistein]

The arrow is in the middle in directory views, but it's quite off center in text views. But why have an arrow at all?

In fact, who does this vertical bar think it is? It preys on 12 pixels each pane and what does it give back - a single silly yellow arrow pointing to the block that is automatically centered anyway (or if you switch off Scroll current diff to center, if you press Ctrl-F7) ?

Seriously, the Display Options let us switch off and even choose the exact width of the color bars. Why not for the arrow bar?

[psguru]

Hmm... Perhaps we don't need the triangle after all. I don't want to make this customizable though. How about something like this:



Yellow bars will indicate a normal diff block, and green bar -- a skipped block (similar to what is now indicated by yellow/green triangles).

[zweistein]

Hurray! It's not just a painted screenshot, it's live in the latest beta. I absolutely like it!