Set difference A minus B
Find removals computes the set difference A − B: every line that existed in text A but is gone from text B. The split between texts is a line containing exactly ---. Lines from text B are loaded into a JavaScript Set; text A is walked line by line and any entry not in B's set is emitted.
Matching is exact: case, whitespace, and trailing spaces all count. Hello and hello are treated as different lines. Pre-clean with trim whitespace if margin whitespace is producing false positives, or lowercase both halves first with lowercase for case-folded matching.
Output preserves the order in text A. The mirror operation is find additions, which returns B − A. Run both for a complete diff of what changed between two list states. For lines unchanged across both see find common lines.
How to use find removals
- 1Paste the older list as text A, then a line with
---, then the newer list as text B. - 2The output panel lists every entry from A that no longer appears in B, in A's order.
- 3Click Copy to copy the removals list, or Download to save it.
- 4Pivot to find additions for the opposite direction (B − A).
- 5Pre-clean with trim whitespace if trailing whitespace is blocking matches.
Keyboard shortcuts
Drive TextResult without touching the mouse.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl F | Open the find & replace panel inside the input Plus |
| Ctrl Z | Undo the last input change |
| Ctrl Shift Z | Redo |
| Ctrl Shift Enter | Toggle fullscreen focus on the editor Plus |
| Esc | Close find & replace, or exit fullscreen |
| Ctrl K | Open the command palette to jump to any tool Plus |
| Ctrl S | Save current workflow draft Plus |
| Ctrl P | Run a saved workflow Plus |
How the removals list is built
Set difference A minus B
Lines from text B are loaded into a JavaScript Set. Text A is walked line by line and each entry is checked; any line not in B's set is emitted to the output.
Order follows text A
Output preserves A's order. A removed entry that sat at line 2 in A comes before another removal at line 9 in A.
Exact, case-sensitive match
Comparison is byte-for-byte. Hello and hello register as different. Lowercase first if you want case-folded matching.
Mirror of find-additions
Find removals is A − B. Find additions is B − A. Use both together for a complete change picture.
Three-hyphen separator
The split between A (old) and B (new) is a line containing exactly ---. The tool needs this marker to know which side is which.
Worked example
Two entries (dave and eve) existed in A but no longer appear in B. The shared three names are filtered out. For the reverse direction see find additions.
alice bob carol dave eve --- alice bob carol
dave eve
Settings reference
| Behaviour | Effect on output |
|---|---|
| Separator | A line containing exactly --- splits text A (old) from text B (new). |
| Operation | Set difference A − B. |
| Match rule | Exact string equality, case and whitespace sensitive. |
| Order | Follows text A. |
| Duplicates in A | Preserved if not present in B. |
| Mirror operation | find additions returns B − A. |
| Missing separator | Output prompts for two halves split by ---. |
FAQ
How is this different from find unique lines?
Are matches case sensitive?
Hello and hello count as different lines. Lowercase both sides first with lowercase for case-folded matching.Why is a clearly removed line not showing up?
How do I see lines that were added in B?
--- separator.