2-way diff

Support for our DiffMerge utility.

Moderator: SourceGear

Post Reply
NaMoush
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:49 am

2-way diff

Post by NaMoush » Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:52 am

HI there.

I'm testing DiffMerge and it seems great to me.

I have only one problem in 2-way diff because I can't edit in the 2 panels. There is any way to do this?

thks in advance

Hugo

jeffhostetler
Posts: 534
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:37 am
Location: SourceGear
Contact:

Sorry, but no.

Post by jeffhostetler » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:41 am

This version of DiffMerge only allows editing in the right panel.
This is by design. The previous version (1.0) did allow arbitrary
editing, but that seemed to confuse a lot of users. So we changed
the paradigm to be that of "editing a single file, with the other(s)
for reference".

Sorry.

FWIW, if you're feeling adventurous, you might try opening a
second window with the files in the other order. then you can
edit both files using their respective right panels. (the view of
the file in the left panel won't update until you hit save in the
other window.)

hope this helps,
j

Parcho
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:47 pm

I would really appreciate this feature too

Post by Parcho » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:16 pm

I would really appreciate this feature too.

Often I am using diffmerge not for the purpose of looking at a single version of 2 different but similar files, e.g. for syncing up changes in makefiles in parallel directories, where I want to quickly and painlessly make the same changes to one that I have already made to the other - but I can also potentially find a line where I forgot to fix the one.

Ultimately I end up having to reopen the files in the opposite order, which I normally do with a lot of directory navigation.

Since you say it is 'too confusing' to your users, what about having a setting to enable this feature, through tools->options or whatever, and leave it read-only by default? (Maybe the reason having both editable confused your users was that they were doing the version comparison task, and not the file synchronization task? Would it be better as a command line switch, so that when invoked from source control you can mark the old version as definitely read-only?)

jeffhostetler
Posts: 534
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:37 am
Location: SourceGear
Contact:

I'll add your vote for that feature.

Post by jeffhostetler » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:54 pm

Yeah, there's kind of 2 different types of tasks -- bringing
over changes from a parallel thread vs general diffing/editing.

When we started DiffMerge, it was to be the helper app for
the former and having 2-way editing *was* confusing. Even
when we marked the left panel read-only. So, we changed
the paradigm to 1 panel editing to address that.

But then we broadened our audience with the stand-alone
download and encouraged people to use it as a general diffing
tool. And now we kinda need/want the other paradigm.

So, yeah, making it an Option/Checkbox in the Options Dialog
might be the way to go.

Sorry, I don't have an immediate answer/solution, but I'll
add your vote for this feature.

thanks,
jeff

Post Reply