--- title: Compare Data Mapping Versions Visually in MapForce date: 2026-11-13 categories: - etl - data-integration tags: description: Compare two versions of a data mapping project visually in Altova MapForce. See added, removed, and changed connections, right from version control. --- Status: #blog Tags: #xmlspy #ai #new-features Categories: [data-integration](/blog/category/data-integration.md) | [etl](/blog/category/etl.md) # Compare Data Mapping Versions Visually in MapForce Data mapping projects change over time: A trading partner updates a schema, a business rule shifts, or a colleague adjusts a function to handle a new edge case. With MapForce, you can compare two versions of a mapping and see every change highlighted directly in the graphical mapping environment. This functionality goes hand-in-hand with support for source control systems like Git and Subversion. You can register MapForce as the diff tool for your mapping files and open visual comparisons straight from the version control tools your team already uses. ![Decorative image representing mapping diffs in MapForce](/blog/images/MapForce_differencing.jpg) ## See Every Change in Your Mapping Design MapForce is a graphical data mapping tool that makes it easy to transform and convert data between any of today’s most prevalent data formats. To define a mapping, you drag connections between source and target data structures and add functions to filter, combine, or convert data along the way. MapForce works with XML, JSON, databases, CSV and other flat files, EDI, Excel, and more, in any combination. Customers use MapForce to build data conversions, [ETL](https://www.altova.com/mapforce/etl-tool) processes, and integrations that move data between systems, like loading EDI orders into a database or turning a partner's XML into JSON for a web app. These mappings often run in production for years, on the desktop or automated with [MapForce Server](https://www.altova.com/mapforce-server), and several people may update them along the way. Since a single moved connection or edited function can change the output, it helps to see exactly what changed from one version to the next. Support for mapping diffs in MapForce makes that easy. When you [compare two versions of a mapping](https://www.altova.com/mapforce/compare-data-mappings) design (.mfd file), MapForce shows the differences directly in the graphical design view. New or deleted connections, modified data processing functions, and changed components are easy to identify at a glance. Color coding tells you what kind of change you are looking at: - **Green**: in the current mapping but not in the one you are comparing it to - **Red**: in the compared mapping but missing from the current one - **Yellow**: properties changed, such as a different output file name - **Pink**: a node's descendants changed If the mapping you have open is the newer version, green shows what was added and red shows what was removed. The Mapping Difference pane lists each change grouped by component to show what changed in each part of the mapping. Hover over an item in the pane, and MapForce highlights it in the mapping. It works the other way around too, so you can move between the list and the design without losing your place. ![diff MapForce project versions](/blog/images/compare-mapforce-projects.png) ## How to Compare Two Mappings Starting a diff takes just a few clicks: 1. Open the mapping you want to use as the current mapping. 2. Open the Mapping Difference pane with its toolbar button or View | Mapping Difference. 3. Browse for the version of the mapping to compare. 4. Click Start Comparison. You can compare a newer version against an older one, or the other way around. When you are done, click Close in the pane. Closing the comparison leaves your mapping unchanged. ## Review Changes in the Same View You Designed Them Because you review changes in the same visual representation you used to build the mapping, it is easy to understand what changed and why it matters. Mapping diffs help you: - Review a colleague's edits before they go into production - Confirm that a change did exactly what you intended - Pinpoint when and where a mapping started producing different output You can also export any comparison as an XML diff report, either from the Mapping Difference pane or from the MapForce command line. The report can be used to document changes or as input for further processing. ## Mapping Diffs in Your Version Control Workflow MapForce integrates with source control systems such as Git and Subversion, and you can register MapForce as the diff tool for .mfd files. A command line option opens two versions of a mapping and displays the comparison in the graphical mapping environment. In practice, this means that when you run a diff from your version control client or review a change in a pull request, MapForce opens with both versions of the mapping and every difference highlighted. With mapping projects under version control, teams can: - Commit mappings to a shared repository - Review each other's changes before merging - Look back through a mapping's history to see what changed and when All of this happens in the tools your team already uses. And because the comparison is visual, you can see right away which connections and functions changed, which makes reviewing and troubleshooting mapping projects much easier. ## Try Mapping Diffs in MapForce Mapping diffs and source control support are available starting with MapForce 2027. Existing customers can update to the latest version, and new users can download a [free 30-day trial of MapForce](https://www.altova.com/mapforce/download) to try it out.