Directory Comparison Utility
by Paul Witheridge

This application compares the contents of two directories, identifying:

(1) Files/subdirectories present in one directory only 

(2) Files present in both but with differing contents

and optionally:

(3) Files present in both with identical contents but differing filetypes and/or timestamps.

Because DirComp is intended to highlight differences when dealing with large numbers of files, it ONLY reports objects that do not match. Other tools (such as the Acorn 'Diff' application) can then be used to explore these differences.

How to use DirComp
==================

Install the DirComp icon on the icon bar in the usual way.

Click Select on the icon to open the dialogue box.

Drag the directories to be compared to the input boxes labelled 'Path 1' and 'Path 2', respectively.

Select the required options. The dialogue box contains two option buttons:

- 'Subdirectory recursion', which causes DirComp to compare the contents of any subdirectories found on both paths

- 'Verbose', which causes DirComp to report files which have identical contents but differing filetype and/or timestamps. (When this is selected, objects with differing contents are marked by an arrow in the output to make them stand out.)

Finally, click on 'Run' to start the comparison.

Note
====

When comparing a directory on an MS-DOS format disk with a directory on an Acorn format disk, DirComp may report that file timestamps differ even though one file is a direct copy of the other. This is due to the different degree of precision in the MS-DOS and Acorn timestamps.

DirComp does not currently work on networks.

Prerequisites
=============

DirComp runs under the Acorn DDE environment and requires two relocatable modules that form part of this environment: 'FrontEnd' and 'TaskWindow' (the file name for the 'TaskWindow' module is 'Task').

RISC OS 3 provides 'TaskWindow' resident in ROM, but does not provide 'FrontEnd'.

Both modules are provided in the !System.Modules directory and can be copied into your own !System.Modules directory.

DirComp can also be used in the command mode. Copy the DirComp program file from inside the DirComp application to your library directory. Then press F12 and enter:

      *dirComp

for a summary of the DirComp command syntax.

 Paul Witheridge 1993