# Table Compare Overview |

A Table Compare session compares text files containing tabular data, such as .csv (comma separated values) files, in a side-by-side or over-under layout. The files are displayed in two grids that scroll together and the data is compared cell-by-cell. The display shows comparison columns, not necessarily the columns as they are organized in the data files. For example, the first comparison column may be comparing the third column of the left data file against the fifth column of the right file. See Table Compare Column Settings. By default, Table Compare sorts your files before comparing them and aligns rows with matching key columns. You can define any combination of comparison columns as the key. If you specify an unsorted alignment, Beyond Compare will not sort the files, but will still only align rows with matching keys. The display uses color to highlight differences. A row with a light red background indicates an important difference somewhere on the line, while light blue indicates an unimportant difference. The light red background takes precedence over the light blue. This makes it easy to find differences, even if they are horizontally scrolled out of view. You can adjust these colors to suit your preferences. (See File View Color, Font Options.) See also Table Compare Commands Table Compare Settings Table Format Settings