Use cases for text compare tools

Share interesting information or links related to portable apps here.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
webfork
Posts: 10818
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:06 pm
Location: US, Texas
Contact:

Use cases for text compare tools

#1 Post by webfork »

I realize there are a lot of freeware comparison tools and they all seem to handle wildly different needs so I tried to write out some of those requirements and the programs you'd aim for.

TLDR: The go-to program is WinMerge. You can tweak out that program to do most of the following so if you're not sure, start there.

What this post is not about
  • Search tools - Comparison software is about letting the computer suggest what's significant based on the criteria you give it.
  • Hash software - These programs only care about weather or not a file is identical. A War and Peace ebook with a single extra space is no more different or similar than Shakespeare. Also, I already wrote up something on why you'd use hash tools.
  • Developer Tools - I'm not excluding these, but the runaway vast majority of tools in the space are focused on log files and source code. It's a well covered topic.

Differences

Line changes

This is more the domain of log file and source code analysis tools, where line differences are the most crucial part. Recommendation: WinMerge, ExamDiff, or Diffinity

Word changes

Important content choices are almost always word choices. If you want to see how something was edited to change the meaning, you probably care most about the words. Recommended: WinMerge because you can choose to ignore whitespace, punctuation, and much more.

All changes

Catch any difference between two files, usually between edits or updates. Sometimes this means demonstrating that you've done the work AKA a "redline," or showing how small changes have big impact in legal documents and config files.

* WinMerge is probably the leader again because it can generate reports, but LibreOffice is also worth going to because it will also catch format changes and includes a filter to show different types of changes (pictured below):

Image

Duplication / similarities

* Repeating phrases in the same document, helps either catch bad writing or confirm that words and phrases are consistent.

MatnPardaz - You can see repeats in words and phrases of varying word and phrase length, along with how many times it shows up.

* Similarities in multiple files, e.g. If you see similar phrasing or numbers across many documents, that might be something important.

Still looking for something here but right now I'd start with TextComparer and the similarly-named TextCompare covers this at least partly with "Same line both sides" and/or the "Moved or Copied line" view:
Image.

* Similarities inside of the same document. So if mention of a policy number keeps coming up in a file it would be nice to see that highlighted.

See the thread on Concordance tools.

* Fuzzy matching - usually addressing misspellings, different suffix and prefix words.

WinMerge

Image

---

Other

Related Fuzzy Search

Unlike the above tools, these programs address you have to enter in some word or phrase and see if it happens to connect.

LibreOffice - find this in the "Search and replace" window under "Similarity search." Only works with one term at a time so you can't view variations on a a list of words.

Docfetcher - you can use the ~ symbol for similar searches. Multiple terms could be used with an OR value written between them, e.g. see~ OR porta~.

Image

Additional feedback, suggestions, programs or use cases all welcome.

User avatar
SYSTEM
Posts: 2041
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 1:19 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Use cases for text compare tools

#2 Post by SYSTEM »

webfork wrote: Fri Feb 18, 2022 5:57 pm Line changes

This is more the domain of log file and source code analysis tools, where line differences are the most crucial part. Recommendation: WinMerge or Diffinity
Thanks for the recommendations. I occasionally need to compare text files at work. I'll have a look at these later. :)
My YouTube channel | Release date of my 13th playlist: August 24, 2020

User avatar
webfork
Posts: 10818
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:06 pm
Location: US, Texas
Contact:

Re: Use cases for text compare tools

#3 Post by webfork »

SYSTEM wrote: Sat Feb 19, 2022 1:32 am Thanks for the recommendations. I occasionally need to compare text files at work. I'll have a look at these later. :)
Excellent, glad that helped

Post Reply