Sample Scripts

The following are some sample scripts to show how Beyond Compare can use scripts.  You can either use these scripts as is or model your own scripts after them.

Here is a basic script which copies all of the newer and orphaned files from one folder to another, using a previously created session:

  load "Sync Laptop"

  sync update:left->right

Synching two folders

Here is a more advanced script which syncs two specific folders using advanced filters.  This works the same as loading the folders in a Folder Compare session and performing a "Mirror Left to Right" folder synchronization.

# Turn logging on

log normal C:\MyLog.txt

# Load the default session and exclude all but certain file types

load <default>

filter "*.html;*.htm;*.png;*.jpg"

# Load the base folders

load C:\MyFolder ftp://user@website.com/folder

# Copy different files left to right, delete orphans on right

sync mirror:left->right

Comparing two files by name

This script compares two files by name.

file-report layout:side-by-side &

  options:display-mismatches &

  output-to:%3 %1 %2

A sample command line, calling the above script:

BCompare.exe @MyScript.txt MyFile.txt YourFile.txt MyReport.txt

Note  An ampersand (&) at the end of a line means that the command continues on the next line.

Note  %1, %2, and %3 refer to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd command line argument, respectively.

Generating a report

This script compares two files by name and generates an html report showing differences with context:

text-report layout:side-by-side &

  options:ignore-unimportant,display-context &

  output-to:%3 output-options:html-color %1 %2

Keeping a web site in sync

This script keeps a web site in sync with development files.

# Turn verbose logging on

log verbose append:C:\MyLog.txt

# Set the comparison criteria

criteria timestamp size

# Load source and target folders

load C:\MyFolder ftp://user@website.com/folder

# Filter to only include source files, ignore CVS subfolders

filter "*.htm;*.html;*.php;*.jpg;*.gif;-CVS\"

# Sync the local files to the web site, creating empty folders

sync create-empty mirror:left->right

Performing a rules-based comparison and logging results to a file

This script logs the script results to a file that uses the current date as part of the name.  The variable %date% is expanded by the script in the format 2012-12-31 on U.S. English systems, on other systems it will match the system locale.  It performs a rules-based comparison of Pascal source files and generates a report of mismatches.

# Log to a file of the form C:\MyLog2012-12-31.txt

# The exact format depends on your regional and language settings

log verbose append:C:\MyLog%date%.txt

# Compare the text contents of the files

criteria rules-based

# Only compare Delphi source files, ignore the archive folder

filter "*.pas;*.dfm;*.dpr;*.inc;-archive\"

load C:\MyFolder C:\YourFolder

folder-report layout:summary &

  options:display-mismatches,column-attributes,column-timestamp,column-size &

  output-to:MyReport.txt

Comparing current folder state to a snapshot

This script compares the current state of a folder to a snapshot from the last time updates were sent out.  Then it copies the changed and new files to a zip file and updates the snapshot of the folder.

option confirm:yes-to-all

# Compare using crc

criteria crc

# Load current files against snapshot from the last patch

load C:\MyFolder C:\MySnapshot.bcss

# Expand to affect subfolders and files

expand all

# Select updated files

select left.diff.files left.orphan.files

# Copy changes to a zip file

copyto left path:relative C:\MyArchive.zip

# Update the snapshot

snapshot save-crc left output:C:\MySnapshot.bcss

Generating a report of differences

This script generates a report of only differences.

# Set up basic comparison features

criteria timestamp:2sec

# Filter out log files

filter "-*.log"

# Load first comparison

load C:\MyFolder C:\YourFolder

# Compare files with timestamp differences

select newer.files older.files

# Generate a report of the differences

folder-report layout:summary options:display-mismatches output-to:C:\MyReport.txt