11.5 Comparing Files with WinMerge
Most computer users probably don’t have much need to compare files side-by-side on a regular basis. Developers, on the other hand, are faced with a myriad of tasks that require the comparison or merging of files. For example, you may need to:
Compare/merge two versions of the same source file to track down a bug or a difference in application functionality
Compare/merge two different configuration files to figure out why an application is acting differently in another environment
Compare two reports when trying to make sure the changes you made to your algorithms didn’t change the report results
Compare two source files to prove to a teammate that you aren’t the one who wrote that horrible uncommented, poorly named piece of code she’s blaming on you
Although there are commercial tools available for performing these tasks, WinMerge is a free, open source file-comparison and merge tool that makes it very easy to compare files, check all the differences, and then merge the files.
| |
|---|---|
Tool | WinMerge |
Version covered | 2.4.6 |
Home page | |
Power Tools page | |
Summary | Quickly and easily track down differences in files and merge changes between versions |
License type | GPL |
Online resources | Documentation, mailing lists, FAQ, forums, bug tracker |
Getting Started
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