Using BCShellEx from the command line?

[cringthis]

Is there any way (via command line switch?) to initiate a
file/directory compare with a file previously selected with
the BCShellEx explorer menu?

May sound like a strange request, but often-times I have an
explorer window open to a directory with a file I want to
diff with a file in the current directory I'm sitting in in
my shell (e.g. DOS box). It'd be nice if I could
"right-click -> Select Left Side to Compare" then from my
shell enter "bc2.exe /with-selected foo.txt".

Conversely, it'd be nice to be able to "bc2.exe /select-left
foo.txt" and then change to my explorer window and
"right-click -> Compare with previous"

Thanks again for the great tool!

Chris

[jdmarch]

If you used Total Commander http://ghisler.com instead of Win Explorer, you could have one file selected, in the left file panel, and then press a (user-defined) shortcut key or toolbar button to invoke BC to compare that file to whichever file was selected in the right panel (or vice versa). Another shortcut could invoke BC to compare 2 selected files in the same panel.

[Craig]

We don't support this right now, but I will add it to the wishlist.

As of 2.1 the shell extension's remembered file is stored in the registry at HKCU\Software\Scooter Software\Beyond Compare\BCShellEx\Linked. The first letter is 'F' (file) or 'D' (directory), followed by the fully qualified filename. If we don't get to it fast enough it should be pretty easy to write a little wrapper exe that would read or modify that.