Wed 3 Jan 2007
WinMerge and CSDiff are free Windows tools that allow you to compare text files in order to display their differences. They are useful for comparing configuration files.
WinMerge displays both files in two different windows marking the differences. It also can compare folders showing which files differ and which are identical. Its name reveals that you can use WinMerge to merge two files.
CSDiff uses only one window to display the differences. Most word processing programs work the same way. It also supports folder analysis and can export reports into HTML, XML or normal text format.
WinMerge is better if you want to compare two text files, line by line. CSDiff is more convenient when comparing two big files with only few differences since it can only display the changed lines. Both of them have more features. If you often compare files, you should check them out.
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It’s not free, but Scooter Software’s Beyond Compare ($30) is an amazingly good file comparison tool. If you find yourself comparing stuff a lot, it’s definately worth the cost to register it.
Hi Paul, thanks for the tip. Here is the link: http://www.scootersoftware.com/
I’ve used WinMerge for years. I’ve always been able to count on it. Works great!