Compare file size before name with "Ignore Folder Structure (Flatten)" (precedence)?

[arjaydavis]

Is it possible to change the comparison precedence so that with "Ignore Folder Structure (Flatten)" enabled, Beyond Compare looks at file size, to attempt to match, before looking at the folder path/name?

I'm using "Ignore Folder Structure (Flatten)" but Beyond Compare is comparing files with the same name but are different but actually there are identical files that it is missing.

In other words, for example, the left hand side has file1 with 200 bytes in size, Beyond Compare compares is with file1 on the right hand side but 400 bytes. But also on the right hand side is file1 in another path which is 200 bytes and identical to file 1 on the left hand side.

If "Ignore Folder Structure (Flatten)" was enabled and with the ability to change the precedence of comparison criteria, such that file size was looked at first, then Beyond Compare would do the desired comparison in the above case.

[Aaron]

Hello,

Thanks for contacting us. You are correct in that our current Ignore Folder Structure state does not currently support duplicate file names present in the subfolders. Our behavior first performs the alignment and then runs the comparison, so when file name duplicates exist, BC3 currently does not support scanning them first. This is on our wishlist to improve this behavior, and I've added your notes (a timestamp/size mini-comparison).

[RodolfoGiovanninetti]

I wanted to write a similar wish, but from a different point of view. I would like that B.C. matched first files in the same directories, than other files. For example, I have on the left dir1 and dir2. In both dirs there is a file called foobar. On the right there is only dir2, with foobar inside it. I would like that, even if it is a flat comparison, B.C. first matches dir2s, even if they are "hidden".

Thank You very much

Rodolfo Giovanninetti

[Aaron]

Hello Rodolfo,

In our current implementation of Ignore Folder Structure, we do try to match based on the folder path first, so if dir2 exists on both sides and the file would normally match if the folders were present, then that pair will be aligned when the folder structure is flattened.