ProductsDiffDogDirectory Differencing

Altova DiffDog® 2008 is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for comparing and merging directories.

Today’s power users and developers need a quick, efficient way to keep their many directories in sync - whether they contain source code and documentation files, or MP3s and digital photographs. In addition to its compelling file comparison capabilities, Altova DiffDog® 2008 allows you to compare and merge directories of any size.

DiffDog® 2008 supports several options for opening a directory comparison. You can drag and drop two directories from your file explorer window or select them using browse functionally. In addition, DiffDog® 2008 remembers recently compared directory pairs, allowing you to re-open a recent comparison with one click. DiffDog® 2008 displays compared directories side-by-side as expandable/collapsible trees, and the size and date modified are indicated for each folder and file. Differences between the directories are indicated with color coding and easy to identify icons.

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DiffDog® 2008 provides five options for directory comparisons:

• Quick compare: compares files by size and date only. This is useful for quick comparisons as well as for directories that contain many different types of files, including non-text files such as MP3s, JPGs, etc.
• Text comparison: compares actual textual content of files in each directory
• XML comparison: compares actual file content with XML-aware intelligence
• Extension comparison: compares files as text or XML, depending on their file extension
• Binary comparison: compares actual content of non-text files such as EXEs, MP3s, JPGs, etc.

Differences between the directories are indicated using color coding and icons, a few of which are shown in the examples below.

The files are equal:



The file on the left is newer:



The file on the right is newer:



The file exists only in the right-hand directory:

As you are comparing, the DiffDog® 2008 directory comparison toolbar allows you to control which files are displayed. For instance, you can show or hide all equal files, show or hide older or newer files, and expand and collapse directories and sub-directories.

As with the file comparison functionality, DiffDog® 2008 includes features that make navigating directories as you compare them easy. With one click you can move to the next or previous difference, go back to the current difference, and so on. You can also merge files from one directory to the other, and you can even open a file comparison directly from the directory comparison window by simply double-clicking the desired file.

DiffDog® 2008 includes a special feature that allows you to update/merge entire directories, including sub-folders, with a single step. Updating the backup copy of a folder with many files and subfolders is a snap, since users can choose to skip the steps of reviewing and merging each difference individually. Large, complex directories can now be sync’ed with a single click.

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The Synchronize button on the directory options toolbar opens a Synchronize Directories preferences dialog that lets you set the rules for merging files. The dialog even shows a preview of synchronization activity. You can review all the scheduled file updates across both folders, then modify the settings if you like. No changes are made in either directory until you click the Start button.

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DiffDog® 2008 supports file and folder filters to give you ultimate control over directory comparison options. By specifying which files, folders, and subdirectories are processed, you can perform accurate side by side comparisons on directories containing hundreds of large files without enduring long delays.

DiffDog® 2008 even includes pre-defined filters for popular file sets that you can use as-is or further customize. Included filters are set up to select XML-conformant files, text files, non-binary files or non-CVS files.

You can apply a filter to a the directory comparison by selecting it from a pull-down menu in the Directory Compare toolbar.

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You can even define a custom filter set and save it with a descriptive name to refine a directory comparison by including or excluding certain files and directories.

Your custom filter is conveniently stored in the filters library for reuse at any time.

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DiffDog® 2008 takes the guesswork out of comparing large, complex directories by instantly identifying differences and allowing you to merge and edit files at lightning speed, saving time and greatly reducing the occurrence of errors – download a free trial today!