Why does nothing appear in viewer when I choose Diff between Revisions/Commits of a source file ?

[mdstocco NA]

On Source View, I need to see the differences between the current and some past version of a given file.  I'm trying to find the originator of an apparently errant insertion of source code.  when I select "Diff" from the upper-left-hand corner button/menu (from Source to Diff), expecting (as I thought it used to in the past) to see a difference between current and the immediately preceding version, I instead get nothing.  The browser doesn't "chug" with the timer icon for the cursor, indicating it's not stuck processing, it gives an updated, VERY long and cryptic URL, but the page itself is blank and displays nothing.

[mdstocco NA · Accepted solution]

I suspected it might be something to do with my browser configuration - but I've gone into settings and enabled JavaScript on the page, and no change in behavior.  I've also tried navigating to it entirely separately with both Google Chrome and MS Internet Explorer, and get the same behavior.

Everything appears fine/normal, but when I click/select "Diff" from the Menu-Button (between Source/Diff/History) - it goes blank.  No warning, no feedback, no display whatsoever, no frame, just a blank browser window with a long, cryptic URL and no "in-work" cursor image.

[Tyler T]

Hi @mdstocco NA,

The diff URL should look like the following:

https://bitbucket.org/<user/team>/<repo-slug>/diff/<filename>?at=<branch-name>&diff2=<commit-hash>

Does your URL have the same pattern? Is this a Git or HG repo?

Thank you

[mdstocco NA]

It does, if you replace <filename> with <filepath> - as in the various subdirectories under the Repo where the file is located, before you get to the source code file name itself.

Then, the <commit-hash> is the extended, full hash apparently, as opposed to the short-form hash usually displayed elsewhere in BitBucket.

I am working with a Mercurial (Hg) Repo.

[Tyler T]

Thank you for reporting this on the Community. I can reproduce what you are seeing. Our team will work on a bugfix and post an update here. 

[mdstocco NA]

Okay thanks.

Uh...this response begs the question - if you can "reproduce it" - does that mean this is happening to _everyone_ ?  So, not isolated to my login/account, my PC/Desktop, my browser/config, nor even our company's Atlassian account/profile ?  That's good news - but how can it be that for several days ALL of Atlassian's customer base has been unable to access the code "Diff" option - that seems extremely surprising...and that there wouldn't be more complaints from other users...

[mdstocco NA]

FYI - For closure on this thread - I had separately submitted a trouble ticket directly to Atlassian support (BBS-90566) for this issue.

As it turns out, the problem was related to the Beta version of the "New source browser experience".

I simply had to disable this new/beta mode and revert to classic Source/Diff/History option/buttons (on far right above source code, instead of in a menu button on far left).  Simply had to navigate to your Account Setting -> Under Apps and Features category, select Labs -> Deactivate the "New source browser experience".

This allowed "classic" source code Diff to be re-instated, and that works fine as always.

[Tyler T]

Thank you for reporting this bug in the New Source Browser experience. It has been fixed and you can now reactivate the New Source Browser experience under Bitbucket settings > Labs and use the Diff view for Hg repositories.