TFS command-line diff results in "failed with exit code 13" after each compare

[davenovak]

I am using TFS with BC4 configured as my diff and merge tool (as described in http://www.scootersoftware.com/suppo...?zz=kb_vcs#tfs). When I run a tf diff from the command-line, a BC4 file difference is properly generated for each file in the pending changelist. However, after exiting each individual file compare, the following is displayed in my console window:

H:\0.0.60520>tf diff
edit: H:\0.0.60520\Tools\<file1ofN>
The program C:\Program Files (x86)\Beyond Compare 4\BComp.exe failed with exit code 13.
repeat-above-for-each-file-in-changelist

If you have a lot of items in your change list, that's an awful lot of red! Same exact result when using BC3.

Is there anything I can do to avoid this error?

[Aaron]

Hello,

We do return codes for our command line (documented in the Help file, Command Line Reference). You can create a .bat wrapper file to call and pass in, and then have the bat always return 0 if that is what TFS expects.

We have detailed steps in the Rational Synergy section for creating a .bat wrapper:
http://www.scootersoftware.com/suppo...kb_vcs#synergy

[davenovak]

That seems to work, though has the downside of opening a temporary console window with each comparison. That in turn causes focus on the original console window (with the tf diff command) to become lost. All said, I'll probably just put up with the 'error' Microsoft is reporting, knowing that it is meaningless.

I'd love to see a BComp.exe switch, such as /forcereturn=<code>, to handle cases like this.

[Aaron]

Thanks. This is something we've thought about; I'll open a tracker entry to investigate.