use Algorithm::Diff qw(traverse_sequences); my ($old, $new) = split /\n--\n/, join "", ; # get strings $_ = [split /\s+/, $_] for ($old, $new); # turn them into arrayrefs traverse_sequences($old, $new, { MATCH => sub { print "$old->[shift]\n"}, DISCARD_A => sub { print "$old->[shift]\n"}, DISCARD_B => sub { print "$new->[shift,shift]\n"}, }); __END__ We start. Let's begin. This is the old text. Then we end. -- We start. This is the new text. And here's some stuff I added. Then we end. #### We start. Let's begin. This is the old new text. And here's some stuff I added. Then we end.