Compare filename case

[kbulgrien]

Scenario:

Folder PATH listing
C:.
|-- DirContents.xml
|-- 1
| |-- ADifferentFile.txt
| |-- perfectineveryway.txt
| `-- ThisIsATextFile.txt
`-- 2
|-- adifferentfile.txt
|-- perfectineveryway.txt
`-- thisisatextfile.txt

ThisIsATextFile.txt and thisisatextfile.txt are identical and only different in case of filename.
ADifferentFile.txt and adifferentfile.txt differ internally, and in case of file name.
perfectineveryway.txt in both folders are identical in every way.

In the test, "Compare filename case" was not the default setting. I went into the session settings, checked Compare filename case and checked compare contents (binary comparison). I then did Edit > Full Refresh.

BC shows that only ADifferentFile.txt and adifferentfile.txt are different (even though Session > Session Settings... > Comparison > Compare filename case is checked).

It is required to uncheck Session > Session Settings... > Comparison > Compare contents (o) Binary comparison for ADifferentFile.txt and adifferentfile.txt to show as different, BUT, as soon as I binary compare the files, the UI indicates they are identical even though the session settings require comparison of filename case.

As "Compare filename case" is categorized as a Quick test, it appears that binary comparison trumps it. This is somewhat understandable as in the case of, say Compare timestamps, quick tests simply provide a way for BC to guess whether the files are identical or not, and binary comparison is one way to prove that a difference in date/time does not indicate an actual difference in the data.

Now that I understand this, I can watch for it, but, in the analysis today, I actually want binary comparison to not auto-hide a file name case difference because I do not want to have to manually binary compare all the files that have slightly different metadata but do have identical file names.

The behavior was confusing as a newcomer. As I wanted both binary comparison and notification of file name differences, and because BC did not indicate this was not possible, it took me a quite a while to realize that as a quick test, file name case checking was subordinate to binary comparison (at the time I didn't realize another setting was interfering).

Now after all this fiddling and writing up, now after over an hour, yet another final review of the dialogs to make sure I wrote everything up accurately, Session > Session Settings... > Comparison > [x] Override quick test results finally catches my attention.

I see now that to do what I want also requires unchecking [ ] Override quick test results.

Problem solved, but I'll post anyway since it took so long to figure out.

[Aaron]

Thanks. That is quite the post, but following your logic you did find the intended workflow: uncheck Override Quick Test Results if you want Quick Tests (a change in file name case) and Content (Binary) to independently mark the file as different if either are different.

The default behavior is Quick Tests only, but then double clicking and view the file (or running the Compare Contents command) overrides this.