All,
I just installed beta 12.11.0.51 and tried the file compare utility.
Looks great! Especially the option to ignore formatting differences is a great improvement over any other comparison tool.
Unfortunately, it does not seem to work as it should:
Also, I could not figure out how to compare a directory.
I got a message stating that I can load only two files at a time.
I tried to find out by hovering the cursor over the action icons,
but there seems to be no pop-up, help-text, or explanation available.
I hope this helps you guys to improve the compare feature.
Intelligent compares will save me a significant amount of ime!
Kind regards,
Abe Kornelis
Abe,
I did not connect the existing file compare/merge window to the new feature in the automation designer. To compare folders, go to Automation Designer and look on the “File Utilities” tab. There is a file/folder compare action there.
-John
Hey Abe,
I'm looking at your screenshot, but I'm not sure I'm understanding what's not working correctly. Can you elaborate a bit?
For folders, you're correct: this window will not do folder comparisons. It's designed to compare and/or merge two files.
As for hints on the tool buttons, are you not seeing these? If not, you may need to reset your user files. Tool button hints should be displaying.
Let me know what's not working for you and we can take a look at it.
Thanks!
-John
John,
If you take a look at the screenshot I attached when I started this thread, you’ll see that the tick-box ‘report formatting differences’ is unchecked.
And yet the program reports a difference between the two files that is ‘formatting-only’.
In the left-hand display it’s a single line of code, in the right-hand display it’s three lines of code.
Still, there is no difference - it just happens to have been formatted using different formatter versions (that’s what you get when using a beta…)
I do lots of file comparisons.
I’d love to have a means of ignoring formatting issues.
But it does not (yet) seem to be working like that.
Hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Abe
Hey Abe,
I took a look into the issue you raised concerning the “report formatting differences” checkbox. This option is not designed to ignore formatting differences when comparing two files. It is a legacy option from the old compare window, which is designed to provide notification to the user when only formatting or comment differences exist. This is why the option appears under the “General” page rather than the “Matching” page.
The file compare window will do a comparison between two selected files and display their differences based on the way they are currently formatted. In addition to this, selecting this option will format each file’s source behind the scenes, do the compare again, and report to the user if the only differences between the source files are in formatting or comments – regardless of what is displayed in the window. This gives the user a quick view that whatever differences they’re seeing are cosmetic or formatting only.
If you want to format your files manually, you can click the “Format Files” button in the tool bar (to the left of the “Previous Difference” button). I’ve also added a “Format source before comparing” option in the comparison options window. This will be in the next beta.
-John
John,
thanks for explaining. I’ll await the next Beta.
Abe
