Diff / changes formatting suggestion

[snejus]

I've been finding the way updates are currently being reported a bit confusing. Specifically, this has to do multi-line strings and paths formatting.

Multi-line string

Running beet edit title:Svetimi

For example, if I prepend timestamps to each lyrics line without adjusting the rest of the contents, I am seeing this:

This makes it seem that I have replaced all lyrics except the bits with Bėga bėga. I'm confused why aren't each of the lines treated the same?

Paths

Updating a path format in the configuration and running beet mv --pretend

The issue here is, I think, verbosity: there's a lot of text, and no spacing between each change, so some mental effort is required to figure out what is going on. To compare what the before vs after I still need to look across two lines for each change, unfortunately.

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I would personally prefer dropping the before -> after notation and format each change in a single block. I have adjusted this in my fork, and I see these outputs for the two examples above:

Note that I also dimmed the unchanged parts for clarity.

What do you think about this?

[dreamcodez]

🎭 Host Perspective: Marcus (Single Luxury Property Owner)

Context: I own one high-end cabin in the Smokies. My guests pay premium prices and expect premium service. I personally respond to every message right now—but I'm burning out. I want help, not replacement.

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What "Accretion" Means to Me

I don't know what accretion means technically. But here's what I hear:

"The system grows by adding, not changing."

That sounds like my property's knowledge would accumulate over time. New quirks get added, but the old ones don't get overwritten.

That's exactly what I want.

My cabin has personality. The fireplace needs a specific technique to light. The hot tub has a sweet spot temperature. The hiking trail entrance is hidden. Over 3 years, I've learned all this. If Butler can accumulate that knowledge without me re-teaching it every time something "updates"—that's valuable.

My Fear With "Modification"

Every time my booking platform "updates" their messaging system, my templates break. My carefully crafted check-in instructions get reformatted. The personal touches disappear.

If Butler's architecture means my property's personality accumulates and persists through system changes—I'm interested.

If it means Butler will "consolidate" my unique touches into generic patterns because they're "redundant"—hard pass.

The Question I'd Ask

Is there a difference between "Butler learns" and "Butler standardizes"?

I want a system that gets smarter about MY property. Not one that makes my property more like everyone else's.

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I'm not a tech person. I just know what my guests love, and I don't want that to get optimized away.