Merge binary comparisons provide a way to compare binary (typically non-text and non-image) data files. If you wish to see the differences between files at a byte level, this is the best type of comparison to use. Merge can interpret and display the bytes that make up the files in various ways to give, for example, a hexadecimal, decimal or floating-point view of the file data.
You can open a new binary comparison window by selecting the New Binary Comparison command in the File menu.
Two empty areas where the compared files will be displayed take up the majority of the window. You can type directly into each file pane, or paste text copied from other applications. Alternatively, above each file pane is an entry field that you can use to enter the path to a file that you want to compare.
To compare two text files, you can type the paths of two files into the entry fields or use the buttons on the right-hand end of the entry fields to choose files to compare.
The 
button opens a file-browsing sheet and the 
button displays a list of files that you have recently compared. If there are other versions of the file named in entry field
available for comparison (e.g. in Time Machine), the 
button displays a list of these other versions.
Click the 
button in the toolbar or press the Enter key when you have chosen two files to compare.
You can also drag and drop files from Finder onto the filename entry fields or onto the file panes.
The binary comparison display
Two sample files (test1.txt and test2.txt) are provided in the Merge installation directory. The following screenshot shows the results of a binary file comparison between these two files.
Changes between the two files are highlighted with colours and linking lines. Linking lines in the centre panel of the file comparison window connect related changes to show exactly how the files are related. You can modify the colours and fonts used in the comparison window by using the controls in the Fonts/Colours preferences page.
A summary of the number of changes that were found between the compared files is shown in the status bar at the bottom of the main Merge application window. The caret’s byte offset is also displayed.
You can use the n-Way Comparison (Side-By-Side) and n-Way Comparison (Stacked) commands in the Window menu to change the layout of the files within the file comparison window so that the compared files are displayed one above the other (stacked) or side-by-side (the default).
There are many options that you can set to customize how Merge compares and displays files. There are help topics that will enable you learn how to customize Merge so that it produces the best results for you.
Navigation
As you scroll one file up and down using its scroll bar, the other file is scrolled so that the two files remain aligned in the centre of the display. The centre point marker (a line of small indentations in the centre of the linking lines panel) indicates the point at which Merge tries to keep related parts of the files aligned. You can temporarily prevent Merge from keeping both files aligned by holding down the Ctrl+Cmd keys while scrolling. When you release Ctrl+Cmd, the files will snap back into alignment.
The small Previous Change and Next Change buttons 
below the scroll bars can be used to jump to the previous or next change.
There are thin overview strips next to the vertical scroll bars at the left and right edges of the file comparison window.
These contain markings to indicate the position of changes within the compared files. You can quickly navigate to a change
by clicking on the marks in the strip.
You can use the cursor keys to navigate within a file after clicking within it to give it keyboard focus. The following navigation shortcut keys are also available:
-
Cmd+< moves the editing cursor to the previous change.
-
Cmd+> moves the editing cursor to the next change.
-
Option+Left and Option+Right move the editing cursor left and right in word steps.
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Home and End move the editing cursor to the beginning or end of the file.
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Cmd+L displays a window that you can use to navigate to a specific line number.
For a full list of keyboard shortcuts, see Keyboard Shortcuts.
Mouse navigation
If your mouse has a wheel, you can use it to scroll up and down within the active file.
Bookmarks and comments
As you are comparing or editing files, you might want to set bookmarks to enable you to return to locations of interest later on. Press Ctrl+F2 to toggle a bookmark on or off on the current line. To navigate between bookmarks, press F2 or Shift+F2.
Comments can be added to bookmarks, making it easy to note important information or to record a question. To edit a bookmark’s comment, right-click the bookmark and choose the Edit Comment menu item. Bookmark comments are shown as tooltips when you hover the mouse pointer over a bookmark.
Bookmarks and comments are included when you save a comparison for archival or team collaboration. Bookmark comments are also shown in HTML comparison reports. They are therefore a useful tool for asking questions or making notes in a comparison that will later be emailed to other
team members for review.
Three-way file comparisons
In addition to two-way file comparison, the Professional Edition of Merge enables you compare and merge three files. Please see the Three-Way File Comparisons topic for more information.