Compare Directories

Starting a Comparison of Two Directories

The Compare Directories function is initiated from either the directory window popup or pulldown menus, the key combination of Ctrl ? or from the Toolbar. The function compares the contents of one of the Files window to that of the other. The two windows may contain single or multi-directory views, i.e. two similar branches may be compared. The following automatic changes occur to the window configuration and controls at initiation and are restored to normal when the comparison dialog window is closed:

• The FS/2 window style is changed to twin side-by-side windows, enlarged to occupy the entire center window area.

• The selection mode is changed to 'Multiple' selection to provide a click and scroll mode which synchronizes the 'clicked on' file with the 'compared to' file in the opposite window.

• The details view is selected since it is the appropriate view for this purpose.

• Each window is sorted with ascending name sort.

• Each window is scrolled to the first record at the top of the viewport.

The left Files window, which may be either of the two Files windows (A and B), is always the master comparison window. The files shown in the master window are always compared to files in the other Files window. Whichever is the active window at the time is not a factor in the comparison. The dialog entry fields, which list the two directories, are color matched to the Files windows.

Note: Comparison of two large directory structures, such as comparing a complete boot drive tree with its backup by using a multi-directory window view, is possible but will be very time consuming, especially if a binary comparison is performed.

Compare Directories Dialog

Note: This dialog does NOT stay on top of the FS/2 window, like most of the other dialogs, if the user clicks on and activates the FS/2 window. Use the F4 key to reset the input focus to the top dialog window.

Operation

Once a directory compare is initiated, the configuration changes are effected and a comparison dialog window is presented. The comparison dialog window has fields showing the directories being compared and the current status of that comparison, whether it is in progress or the final result of matches found, in number of files and total matched file sizes. A comparison does not commence until the user presses the Compare button.

When a comparison is complete, all files that matched the comparison criteria are highlighted in both windows except for a 'different name' comparison. In a different name comparison, the files that do not have a matching name in the right window are highlighted in the left master window.

The dialog controls allow for swapping windows, changing directories, commencing a copy update or changing comparison criteria and recomparing. Either Files window may be manually scrolled to a particular file of interest. A single click on a file causes the opposite window to vertically scroll to match the two files horizontally if the windows have scrolling range to do so. Scroll tab scrolling the master window results is synchronized scrolling of both Files windows while scrolling the other window only scrolls that window.

The comparison criteria provided are identical names and/or sizes, same/newer/later last write date/times and different names and/or sizes. A much slower binary compare capability is included with options to highlight files with the same name that are exact matches or not exact matches regardless of any other comparison criteria.

Performance

The compare criteria that results in the fastest comparison, in order of fastest to slowest, are:

• Different name
  
• Same name, ignore size and last write date/time.
  
• Same name and same/different size, ignore last write date/time.
  
• Same name, size and same/newest/oldest last write date/time.
  
• Same name and same/newest/oldest last write date/time, ignore size.
  
• Same name, size, last write date/time.
  
• Same or different binary compare. This is much slower.

Comparison speed is highly dependent of system hardware performance. Some comparisons may be too slow to be usable on older hardware.

FAT File System

File name comparison on FAT drives is based on the longname EA if one exists (titles), making comparisons between FAT and HPFS file system directories that use longnames possible.

Alternatives

If the directory compare function does not meet a user's requirements and there is a program available that does, it may be added it to the External Programs list, Page 3_1, in the configuration notebook. It may be easily invoked using the keystroke combination of Ctrl Alt ?.