diff --git a/hier_config/base.py b/hier_config/base.py
index f0f1d73..44ec367 100644
--- a/hier_config/base.py
+++ b/hier_config/base.py
@@ -287,6 +287,42 @@ def rebuild_children_dict(self) -> None:
         for child in self.children:
             self.children_dict.setdefault(child.text, child)
 
+    def delete_all_children(self) -> None:
+        """Delete all children"""
+        self.children.clear()
+        self.rebuild_children_dict()
+
+    def unified_diff(self, target: Union[HConfig, HConfigChild]) -> Iterator[str]:
+        """
+        provides a similar output to difflib.unified_diff()
+
+        In its current state, this algorithm does not consider duplicate child differences.
+        e.g. two instances `endif` in an IOS-XR route-policy. It also does not respect the
+        order of commands where it may count, such as in ACLs. In the case of ACLs, they
+        should contain sequence numbers if order is important.
+        """
+        # if a self child is missing from the target "- self_child.text"
+        for self_child in self.children:
+            self_iter = iter((f"{self_child.indentation}{self_child.text}",))
+            if target_child := target.children_dict.get(self_child.text, None):
+                found = self_child.unified_diff(target_child)
+                if peek := next(found, None):
+                    yield from chain(self_iter, (peek,), found)
+            else:
+                yield f"{self_child.indentation}- {self_child.text}"
+                yield from (
+                    f"{c.indentation}- {c.text}"
+                    for c in self_child.all_children_sorted()
+                )
+        # if a target child is missing from self "+ target_child.text"
+        for target_child in target.children:
+            if target_child.text not in self.children_dict:
+                yield f"{target_child.indentation}+ {target_child.text}"
+                yield from (
+                    f"{c.indentation}+ {c.text}"
+                    for c in target_child.all_children_sorted()
+                )
+
     def _future(
         self,
         config: Union[HConfig, HConfigChild],
@@ -313,13 +349,13 @@ def _future(
             elif self_child := config_child.idempotent_for(self.children):
                 future_config.add_deep_copy_of(config_child)
                 negated_or_recursed.add(self_child.text)
-            # The config_child being applied is already in self
+            # config_child is already in self
             elif self_child := self.get_child("equals", config_child.text):
                 future_child = future_config.add_shallow_copy_of(self_child)
                 # pylint: disable=protected-access
                 self_child._future(config_child, future_child)
                 negated_or_recursed.add(config_child.text)
-            # The a child is being negated
+            # config_child is being negated
             elif config_child.text.startswith(self._negation_prefix):
                 unnegated_command = config_child.text[len(self._negation_prefix) :]
                 if self.get_child("equals", unnegated_command):
@@ -327,50 +363,17 @@ def _future(
                 # Account for "no ..." commands in the running config
                 else:
                     future_config.add_shallow_copy_of(config_child)
+            # config_child is not in self and doesn't match a special case
             else:
                 future_config.add_deep_copy_of(config_child)
 
         for self_child in self.children:
+            # self_child matched an above special case and should be ignored
             if self_child.text in negated_or_recursed:
                 continue
+            # self_child was not modified above and should be present in the future config
             future_config.add_deep_copy_of(self_child)
 
-    def delete_all_children(self) -> None:
-        """Delete all children"""
-        self.children.clear()
-        self.rebuild_children_dict()
-
-    def unified_diff(self, target: Union[HConfig, HConfigChild]) -> Iterator[str]:
-        """
-        provides a similar output to difflib.unified_diff()
-
-        In its current state, this algorithm does not consider duplicate child differences.
-        e.g. two instances `endif` in an IOS-XR route-policy. It also does not respect the
-        order of commands where it may count, such as in ACLs. In the case of ACLs, they
-        should contain sequence numbers if order is important.
-        """
-        # if a self child is missing from the target "- self_child.text"
-        for self_child in self.children:
-            self_iter = iter((f"{self_child.indentation}{self_child.text}",))
-            if target_child := target.children_dict.get(self_child.text, None):
-                found = self_child.unified_diff(target_child)
-                if peek := next(found, None):
-                    yield from chain(self_iter, (peek,), found)
-            else:
-                yield f"{self_child.indentation}- {self_child.text}"
-                yield from (
-                    f"{c.indentation}- {c.text}"
-                    for c in self_child.all_children_sorted()
-                )
-        # if a target child is missing from self "+ target_child.text"
-        for target_child in target.children:
-            if target_child.text not in self.children_dict:
-                yield f"{target_child.indentation}+ {target_child.text}"
-                yield from (
-                    f"{c.indentation}+ {c.text}"
-                    for c in target_child.all_children_sorted()
-                )
-
     def _with_tags(
         self, tags: Set[str], new_instance: Union[HConfig, HConfigChild]
     ) -> Union[HConfig, HConfigChild]: