Comby vs jSparrow

Comby is a free, open-source tool for searching and changing code structure with lightweight templates. It recognizes basic syntax in code, strings, and comments across many languages, with parsers listed for C/C++, C#, Go, Java, JavaScript, Python, Rust, Swift, and TypeScript, plus a generic matcher for other formats. The project targets large refactors and one-off changes, and an interactive review mode lets users inspect proposed edits. Comby can run from its command line, Python bindings, or HTTP requests sent to a server on your machine. Installation instructions cover macOS with Homebrew, Ubuntu, Windows through Ubuntu on WSL, and Docker; building from source is also described. Linked projects include an Emacs package and a prototype VS Code extension. Other uses include structural code search, compiler fuzzing, test-case reduction, editor find and replace, and academic research. Comby matches balanced delimiters while accounting for comments and string literals, and supports regex search. It is self-hosted and available for API, Linux, macOS, and Windows use. The Apache-2.0 license is identified in the public repository.

jSparrow is a Java cleanup and refactoring tool for Eclipse IDE and Maven, running on Linux, macOS and Windows. It lists more than 90 refactorings for Java 1.1 and later, with project-level and batch operation. Diff View compares original and proposed code so changes can be reviewed before application. Markers suggest quick fixes during programming, and the base product includes them at no charge. Interactive rules can replace standard output with logging, rename fields to Java naming conventions and remove unused methods, fields and types. Analysis and refactoring run offline, and the FAQ says code is not sent to external servers or third parties. Internet access is required to persist locked refactorings through the NetLicensing API; offline validation servers are available. The site describes jSparrow as open-source, with no license needed since version 4.20.0. Twenty rules are free; paid licenses are $169 a month or $1,325 a year.