| 6 | <title><indexterm> |
6 | <title><indexterm> |
| 7 | <primary>Getting started with WinMerge</primary> |
7 | <primary>Getting started with WinMerge</primary> |
| 8 | </indexterm><indexterm> |
8 | </indexterm><indexterm> |
| 9 | <primary>Opening files and folders</primary> |
9 | <primary>Opening files and folders</primary> |
| 10 | |
10 | |
| .11 | <secondary>basic methods</secondary> |
11 | <secondary>getting started</secondary> |
| 12 | </indexterm>Opening files and folders</title> |
12 | </indexterm>Opening files and folders</title> |
| 13 | |
13 | |
| 14 | <para>After you have installed WinMerge, step through the procedure and |
14 | <para>After you have installed WinMerge, step through the procedure and |
| 15 | discussions in this topic to learn basic WinMerge operations and concepts. |
15 | discussions in this topic to learn basic WinMerge operations and concepts. |
| 16 | The methods shown are not the only ways to do things: there are usually |
16 | The methods shown are not the only ways to do things: there are usually |
| | | |
| 83 | </itemizedlist> |
83 | </itemizedlist> |
| 84 | |
84 | |
| 85 | <para><indexterm> |
85 | <para><indexterm> |
| 86 | <primary>Select Files or Folders dialog</primary> |
86 | <primary>Select Files or Folders dialog</primary> |
| 87 | |
87 | |
| .88 | <secondary>basic usage</secondary> |
88 | <secondary>getting started</secondary> |
| 89 | </indexterm>The Select Files or Folders dialog opens:</para> |
89 | </indexterm>The Select Files or Folders dialog opens:</para> |
| 90 | |
90 | |
| 91 | <mediaobject> |
91 | <mediaobject> |
| 92 | <imageobject> |
92 | <imageobject> |
| 93 | <imagedata fileref="screenshots/OpenDlg1.png" format="PNG" /> |
93 | <imagedata fileref="screenshots/OpenDlg1.png" format="PNG" /> |
| | | |
| 295 | |
295 | |
| 296 | <section> |
296 | <section> |
| 297 | <title><indexterm> |
297 | <title><indexterm> |
| 298 | <primary>comparing folders</primary> |
298 | <primary>comparing folders</primary> |
| 299 | |
299 | |
| .300 | <secondary>basic methods</secondary> |
300 | <secondary>getting started</secondary> |
| 301 | </indexterm><indexterm> |
301 | </indexterm><indexterm> |
| 302 | <primary>Folder Compare window</primary> |
302 | <primary>Folder Compare window</primary> |
| 303 | |
303 | |
| .304 | <secondary>basic usage</secondary> |
304 | <secondary>getting started</secondary> |
| 305 | </indexterm>Comparing folders</title> |
305 | </indexterm>Comparing folders</title> |
| 306 | |
306 | |
| 307 | <para>If you selected two folders in the Open dialog, the Folder Compare |
307 | <para>If you selected two folders in the Open dialog, the Folder Compare |
| 308 | window is opened. The Folder Compare window is a tabular list of items found |
308 | window is opened. The Folder Compare window is a tabular list of items found |
| 309 | in the compared folders. Each row displays information about a found file, |
309 | in the compared folders. Each row displays information about a found file, |
| | | |
| 381 | |
381 | |
| 382 | <section id="QuickStart_comparingfiles"> |
382 | <section id="QuickStart_comparingfiles"> |
| 383 | <title><indexterm> |
383 | <title><indexterm> |
| 384 | <primary>comparing files</primary> |
384 | <primary>comparing files</primary> |
| 385 | |
385 | |
| .386 | <secondary>basic methods</secondary> |
386 | <secondary>getting started</secondary> |
| 387 | </indexterm><indexterm> |
387 | </indexterm><indexterm> |
| 388 | <primary>File Compare window</primary> |
388 | <primary>File Compare window</primary> |
| 389 | |
389 | |
| .390 | <secondary>basic usage</secondary> |
390 | <secondary>getting started</secondary> |
| 391 | </indexterm>Comparing files</title> |
391 | </indexterm>Comparing files</title> |
| 392 | |
392 | |
| 393 | <mediaobject> |
393 | <mediaobject> |
| 394 | <imageobject> |
394 | <imageobject> |
| 395 | <imagedata contentwidth="600" fileref="screenshots/filecomp1.png" |
395 | <imagedata contentwidth="600" fileref="screenshots/filecomp1.png" |
| | | |
| 400 | <phrase>File Compare window</phrase> |
400 | <phrase>File Compare window</phrase> |
| 401 | </textobject> |
401 | </textobject> |
| 402 | </mediaobject> |
402 | </mediaobject> |
| 403 | |
403 | |
| 404 | <para>The File Compare window shows the two selected files side by side, in |
404 | <para>The File Compare window shows the two selected files side by side, in |
| .405 | separate document panes. Different lines are highlighted with a background |
405 | separate File panes. Different lines are highlighted with a background |
| 406 | color. One or more consecutive different lines form one difference (or |
406 | color. One or more consecutive different lines form one difference (or |
| 407 | <glossterm>diff</glossterm>). In the preceding example, a single difference |
407 | <glossterm>diff</glossterm>). In the preceding example, a single difference |
| .408 | is selected in the document panes, which displays it in the Diff Pane. |
408 | is selected in the File panes and displayed by itself in the Diff Pane. |
| 409 | WinMerge mainly works with these differences, not separate lines.</para> |
409 | WinMerge mainly works with these differences, not separate lines. When you |
| |
410 | merge a difference, you copy all of its lines from one side to the |
| |
411 | other.</para> |
| 410 | |
412 | |
| 411 | <para><important> |
413 | <para><important> |
| 412 | <para>Notice how WinMerge fills missing lines, so that similar lines are |
414 | <para>Notice how WinMerge fills missing lines, so that similar lines are |
| 413 | always aligned vertically, side by side. This is different from most |
415 | always aligned vertically, side by side. This is different from most |
| 414 | other compare/merge programs, and can take a while to learn.</para> |
416 | other compare/merge programs, and can take a while to learn.</para> |
| .415 | </important>During merging operations, lines in a difference can be copied |
417 | </important></para> |
| 416 | between sides. Missing lines can also be be copied. When missing lines are |
| |
| 417 | copied from one side to the other, matching existing lines are removed. In |
| |
| 418 | the preceding screenshot, a merge that copied lines in the second difference |
| |
| 419 | from left to right would remove the matching lines in the left side.</para> |
| |
| 420 | |
418 | |
| 421 | <para>WinMerge has a simple integrated editor that features basic typing, |
419 | <para>WinMerge has a simple integrated editor that features basic typing, |
| 422 | copying, cutting and pasting of text. If <guilabel>Automatic |
420 | copying, cutting and pasting of text. If <guilabel>Automatic |
| 423 | rescan</guilabel> is enabled, WinMerge updates file differences while you |
421 | rescan</guilabel> is enabled, WinMerge updates file differences while you |
| 424 | edit a file. If <guilabel>Automatic rescan</guilabel> is disabled, you can |
422 | edit a file. If <guilabel>Automatic rescan</guilabel> is disabled, you can |
| | | |
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