DiffWith

Purpose:

  Invocation of a comparison program on FARR results.

Configuration:

  There are a number of ways to configure DiffWith.  Below are some,
  just choose one :)  The descriptions may sound complex, but perhaps
  that's just a failing of the author...

  Method 1.

  Assuming a successful installation, an appropriate statusbar icon
  should be visible via FARR's main window.  To check whether a
  statusbar icon is appropriate, hover the pointing device pointer /
  cursor over the statusbar icon to observe popup text.  DiffWith's
  statusbar icon popup text should display "DiffWith".

  1. Click on DiffWith's statusbar icon and choose the "Configure"
     menu item.

  FARR should display a number of results.  One of the results should
  be "Configure Comparison Command Template".

  2. Launch the "Configure Comparison Command Template" FARR result.

  FARR should display a window with a form for configuring a template
  for the command to use when performing a comparison.

  3. Fill in an appropriate template and click on the update button.

  Some example values include:

    c:\apps\WinMerge\WinMergeU.exe /r
    c:\apps\X-KDiff3\X-KDiff3.exe
    c:\apps\SmartSynchronize\bin\smartsynchronize.exe

  Method 2.

  1. Select any FARR result and bring up its context menu.

  2. From the "DiffWith..." submenu, choose "Configure".

  FARR should display the same set of results as in the immediately
  previous method.

  3. Continue with the appropriate steps from the immediately previous
     method.

  Method 3.

  1. Bring up FARR's options and find the User Variables section:

     Program Options ->
       Lists ->
         User Variables

  2. Ensure there is a [DiffWith] section and a CommandTemplate
     variable with appropriate content.

  An example of something appropriate is:

    [DiffWith]
    CommandTemplate = c:\apps\WinMerge\WinMergeU.exe /r

  (The plugin will build the comparison command by appending to the
  CommandTemplate value, double quoted paths of the two items to
  compare.)

  Another example configuration is:

    [DiffWith]
    CommandTemplate = c:\apps\X-KDiff3\X-KDiff3.exe

  Yet another example configuration is:

    [DiffWith]
    CommandTemplate = c:\apps\SmartSynchronize\bin\smartsynchronize.exe

Example Usage:

  1. Find some file using FARR and bring up its context-sensitive
     menu.  An example file might be FARR's ConfigDir_Default.ini file.

  2. From the "DiffWith..." menu, choose "Set as Left".

  3. Find another file with FARR and bring up its context-sensitive
     menu.  Another example file might be FARR's ConfigDir_Sample.ini
     file.

  4. From the "DiffWith..." menu, choose "Compare with Left".

Usage:

  To compare two things, those two things need to be specified.  This
  plugin refers to one of those things as "Left" and the other thing
  as "Right".

  One workflow is:

  1. Use FARR to locate a file or folder and "Set as Left" via the
     target's context-sensitive menu (under DiffWith...).

  2. Use FARR to locate another file or folder and "Compare with Left"
     via the target's context-sensitive menu (under DiffWith...).

  Once "Left" and "Right" have been set, the comparison can be
  repeated via the statusbar menu's "Compare Current Pair" command.

Notes:

  1. FARR's status area (bottom of results view) may show relevant
     information while a "DiffWith..." menu item is selected.

     For example, when the "Set as Left" or "Compare with Left" menu
     item is selected (but not invoked), the status area should
     indicate the current value for "Left".

  2. Other comparison tools may work too.  If a tool can be invoked
     via the command line with the names of the two things to be
     compared listed one after the other (not followed by anything
     else) there's a good chance it should work with this plugin.

  3. Some other comparison tool candidates:

       Meld
       DiffMerge
       SmartSynchronize
       Beyond Compare
       Diffuse

Credits:

  Find And Run Robot

    mouser

  FScript

    ecaradec

  Icons

    https://www.fatcow.com/free-icons

  Discussion and Testing

    mouser