The WinMerge command line accepts several parameters in addition to the paths to compare. Most of these parameters are intended for using WinMerge as an external compare application or starting a compare operation from a batch file. Use one of these formats for the WinMerge command. WinMerge is a free software tool for data comparison and merging of text-like files. It is useful for determining what has changed between versions, and then merging changes between versions. For a planned development of version 3.x no commits have been made to the 3.0 codebase since 2011. In 2011 a fork of the 2.x codebase titled 'WinMerge 2011' was created.
WinMerge plugins are custom dlls or scriptlets, written in the COM API,that preprocess data before a comparison. For example, you can use a plugin toextract text data from MS Word files for WinMerge to compare.
Plugins are not included by default when you install WinMerge, you have toselect them during installation to get them installed. This is because some pluginscan give unexpected behaviour if you forget that you have the plugins turned on.These few plugins may only be of interest to a few users.
Each plugin is:
A single dll or a scriptlet (
sct
) fileInstalled in the
MergePlugins
subfolder. A number of plugins can be installed for you by WinMerge.Easy to install: To install a plugin that is not included in theWinMerge installation, just copy the plugin file to
MergePlugins
. The plugin is available thenext time you open WinMerge. You can find more plugins on the web, writtenby other developers.
Plugins are grouped into three main categories:
- Editor complement
- Unpacker: transform a file to a text format
- Prediffer: preprocess files to hide some differences
How is WinMerge able to apply the right plugin for a given file? Eachplugin specifies a list of file extensions (also listed in each plugin'sAvailable plugins section, under Filefilter). The extensions are used to associate one or more filetypes with the plugin: when a compared file's extension matches an extensionin the plugin's list, the plugin is considered to be a suggestedplugin.
There are separate WinMerge options for the unpacking and prediffertypes, described later in this topic, that enable you to apply the pluginseither manually or automatically. There is no automatic mode for editorcomplement plugins.
When you apply plugins to a selected file using automatic mode,WinMerge searches its list of suggested plugins for that file type, andapplies the first plugin whose name matches. The search is performed inalphabetical order, so if there are multiple suggested plugins for a filetype, only the first one found is applied.
The following subsections describe how to apply each type of plugin. The methods are different for each type of plugin, and also vary dependingon whether you are comparing folders or files.
3.1. Applying editor complement plugins in the File Comparewindow
With your cursor in either File pane of the File Compare window,click Edit → Scripts and choose one of these functions:
The functions are contributed to theScripts menu by the editor addin.sct and insert datetime.sctplugins.
Note |
---|
Editor complement plugins are not available in the Folder Comparewindow. |
3.2. Applying unpacker plugins in the Folder Compare window
Before applying unpacker plugins, you can set its mode to eitherautomatic or manual mode.
To set automatic mode for this type of plugin, click Plugins → Automatic Unpacking.
To set manual mode, click Plugins → Manual Unpacking.
Remember to click F5 to reload the Folder Comparewindow using the new setting.
To apply plugins when automatic unpacking is set, simply launch acompare operation on a file in the Folder Compare window. If the file'stype suggested unpacker plugin (if any) preprocesses the file beforeWinMerge opens it in the File Compare window.
For example, suppose you right-click an MS Worddoc
file and chooseCompare (also assume that the CompareMSWordFiles.dll plugin is available). WinMerge converts thedoc file (or rather, a copy of it ) to a plain text file and opens it inthe File Compare window.
Manual mode enables you to choose a different unpacker plugin thanthe one that is selected for you in automatic mode. You can also launchthe compare using no plugin.
Call of duty 4 modern warfare pc. To apply plugins when manual unpacking is set:
Select the file you want to compare.
Click Plugins → Edit with Unpacker.
This menu item is enabled only if the selected file's type issupported by an available unpacking plugin.
In the Select Unpacker dialog:
Configure automatic plugin selection or choose a pluginmanually:
To use automatic mode (which applies the first availableplugin), verify that is displayed inthe File unpacker control.
To choose a different plugin (if available), use theFile unpacker control to choose theplugin.
By default, this control lists only suggested plugins for thefile type you selected to compare. To see all available plugins,enable the option, Display all packers, don't check theextension.
To launch the compare without using any plugin, choose in the Fileunpacker control.
Click OK to close the Select Unpackerdialog.
Click OK to close the Select Unpackerdialog and launch the file comparison.
3.3. Applying unpacker plugins in the Select Files or Foldersdialog
You can use the Select Unpacker dialog to apply a plugin when youlaunch a file comparison from the Select Files or Folders dialog. SeeSelecting an unpacker for file comparisons for details.
3.4. Applying prediffer plugins in the Folder Compare window
With prediffer plugins, you set the mode (Autoprediiffer or No prediffer) forindividual files. (Contrast this with unpacker plugins, where you set themode for all files.) That is, some files in the same folder have differentprediffer modes.
To set the mode for one or more files in the Folder Compare window,right-click the files and choose Plugin Settings → Prediffer Settings, then choose one of the submenu options:
Auto Prediffer selects the firstprediffer plugin available for the file type.
No prediffer means that no predifferplugin is used.
Click F5 to update the window.
Note |
---|
When you open a subfolder during a non-recursive compare, the modeis always reset to No prediffer. |
When you open a file from the Folder Compare window, your prediffersetting for that file is applied before the File Compare window isopened.
3.5. Applying prediffer plugins in the File Compare window
In the File Compare winodw, you can apply a prediffer plugin byclicking Plugins → Prediffer and choosing one of the plugins in the list. Suggestedplugins are indicated at the top of the list. The files are compared againafter the plugin is applied, so you don't need to rescan the files.
Displays the text contents of a Microsoft® Excelfile, stripping away all formatting and embedded objects.
*.xls
Displays the text content of a Microsoft® Wordfile, stripping away all formatting and embedded objects.
*.doc
, *.dot
This plugin pretty-prints XML files nicely by inserting tabs andline breaks. This is useful for XML files that do not have line returns inconvenient locations.
*.xml
Adds two functions to the Edit → Scripts menu:
- MakeUpper convert the selection toUPPER CASE.
- MakeLower convert the selection tolower case.
Winmerge Alternative For Mac
This plugin ignores characters at specified columns. The firstcolumn is number 1
Note that this plugin does not support files with tabs: the plugindoes not fail, but all tabs are be treated as normal characters.
To specify columns, rename the dll
usingfollowing fields as parameters:
- Delimiters between ranges: _ or ,
- Delimiters between min and max: anythingelse
- Min and max are included.
- When max = min, max can be omitted.
Example 1. IgnoreColumns.dll
examples
IgnoreColumns _ 3 _ 10 - 20 _ 32 -33.dll
IgnoreColumns_1,30 to 40.dll
*.txt
The plugin ignores comments within //
.. and/*
.. */
delimiters in C, C++,PHP and JavaScript files.
*.cpp
, *.cxx
, *.h
, *.hxx
, *.c
, *.php
, *.js
,This plugin is for files with fields and commas as delimiters (CSVfiles, for example). It ignores the delimiter characters. The first fieldis number 1.
To specify the delimiters, rename the dll
usingthe same parameter fields used for IgnoreColumns.dll.
*.csv
This plugin is for files that use fields and tabs as delimiters(for examle, Excel files saved in the *.txt
format). It ignores the delimitercharacters. The first field is number 1.
To specify the delimiters, rename the dll
usingthe same parameter fields used for IgnoreColumns.dll.
Winmerge For Mac
*.txt
This plugin ignores the leading line numbers in text files (forexample, NC and BASIC files).
*.nc
Adds two functions to the Edit → Scripts menu:
- InsertDate insert date in thecurrent locale format.
- InsertTime insert time in thecurrent locale format.
4.11. RCLocalizationHelper.dll
,RCLocalizationHelperU.dll
This plugin preprocesses RC files by stripping out localizedstrings, to enable comparing different language versions of the same RCfile and ignoring the translations.
RCLocalizationHelperU.dll
is the Unicodeversion.
*.rc
For long LOG files, often only in the first lines or in the lastlines are significant.
WatchBeginningOfLog.dll
truncates thefiles to the first 1/10th.WatchEndOfLog.dll
truncates the files tothe first 1/10th.
*.log
Developers can find information and code examples in the sourcepackage, under the Plugins
folder.
Some editor complement plugins require this optional component fromMicrosoft®.
It should already be included in your version of Windows,unless you use some really old pre Windows XP version.
Winmerge Download For Mac
Some plugins require the Visual Basicruntime library to work.
Download Winmerge For Windows 10
You can download the required file msvbvm60.dll
,or use the Run-TimeRedistribution Pack from Microsoft®. If you don't need the plugin,you can safely remove it.