Compare - File Comparision Utility

by Alan Stout


Compare is a utility program which will compare two files and produce a list of differences between them. The source file types currently supported are:
	Text			(type &FFF)
	Command		(type &FFE)
	Basic Source	(type &FFB)
	Obey			(type &FEB)

The output comparison file is of type text and can be one of two formats:

1. 80-column format in which any difference found is listed
     with the lines from the first file followed by the lines
     from the second. The difference lines displayed are tagged
     with the counted line number from the input file and
     truncated to 80 characters if they exceed this size.

2. 132-column format in which the difference lines from each
     file are displayed in parallel down the page and truncated
     to a maximum of 64 characters. In this format the line
     numbers are displayed at the head of each difference
     section.

When the comparison files are Basic source programs then the line numbers associated with each file are NOT compared. The actual BASIC line numbers are however, displayed in the output difference file.

There is no limitation which dictates that the two files being compared have to be of the same type.

Clicking on the Compare icon in the RISC User master menu will load a copy of Compare on the right-hand side of the icon bar. Selecting this icon or dragging a file of the supported type to the icon will open the Compare comparison window.

In order to run, the utility requires two input file specifications. Dragging files of the supported type to the Compare window will alternately load one of the two input specification icons. The associated file type icon will automatically change to reflect the type of file being compared. It is up to the user to drag the files to the window in the desired sequence. Two radio icon buttons are provided to enable the normal loading sequence to be overridden.

The output comparison format (which defaults to 80-column) can be changed by clicking on the format icon which will toggle between 80 and 132-column.

To cause the comparison process to happen, drag the output text icon to a directory viewer, editor or DTP window of choice. During this process the GO icon will change to red STOP. Clicking on the Stop icon whilst Compare is processing will cause it to abort the comparison. The number of differences found so far will be displayed in the main Compare window.

This product has been developed with Silicon Vision's WimpGEN and contains a fully licensed binary image of the WimpGEN runtime libraries.  The WimpGEN runtime libraries are the copyrighted property of Silicon Vision Ltd.


 Copyright RISC User, 1995


