Smart Compare

[BrianK]

I am a long-time user of Beyond Compare (v 2.2.7) but have only used it for blanket compares of two text files (the entire record is identified if there is a difference anywhere in the record - easy stuff). I now have a need for smarter reporting, where only fields with differences are reported.

How is this set up in Beyond Compare?

[Aaron]

In Beyond Compare 3, you create a custom File Format (Tools menu) for your file. Define a grammar element to identify your fields.

Then open a Text Compare with your pair of files, and go to the Session menu -> Session Settings -> Importance tab. Uncheck all values, including Everything Else, except for you Field grammar elements. Checked values will be important (red), and unchecked values will be unimportant (blue) or equal/ignored (black). You can ignore blue text and make it black by toggling on Ignore Unimportant Differences.

Set these as the Session Defaults, and they will be used for all Text Compare Sessions.

[Aaron]

If you have any specific questions, please email us at [email protected] :
-screenshots
-your BC Support package (Help menu -> Support; Export)
-a pair of example files
-a link to this forum post


Thanks.