You've worked for a week on a large set of source files. After editing dozens of files in twenty different directories, someone from across the corridor breezes in and presents you with their latest "improvements" to the same set of files. Well, at least you have PMdiff...
Step 1
Take a look at the File Comparison Tutorial and File Merging Tutorial if you haven't already.
Start PMdiff and click the Compare Folders toolbar button to open a folder comparison window.
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You can drag and drop folders on to the entry fields or on to the background of the main PMdiff window. |
In the folder comparison window, use the ... button in the left entry field to select the root folder of your source code hierarchy. Select the root folder of your colleague's version of the source code hierarchy.
Step 2
By default, PMdiff performs a full file comparison between files to check whether they have been modified between the two folder hierarchies. Even though PMdiff compares files very quickly, this can be time-consuming for large folder hierarchies.
To speed up folder comparisons at the expense of some accuracy, you can deselect the Perform a thorough (rather than quick) comparison option in the Folder Comparison page of the PMdiff options property sheet.
When this option is disabled, PMdiff will check the file timestamps and sizes to decide whether a file has changed. Choose now whether you wish to perform a quick or thorough comparison.
Click the Refresh toolbar button to start the folder hierarchy comparison.
Step 3
When the comparison is complete, the folder comparison window displays the two folder trees side-by-side.
Files and folders present in both the left and right hierarchies are lined up so that they are next to each other.
Each file is displayed next to an icon that indicates the state of the file:
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The file is unchanged between the two folders |
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The file only appears in the first folder |
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The file only appears in the second folder |
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The file has been changed between the two folders |
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The newer of a pair of changed files |
Step 4
Notice the overview strip to the right of the folder comparison window (these were introduced in PMdiff 4.6). Each mark represents a difference between the two source code trees. If the scroll-bar thumb is adjacent to a mark, the difference that it represents is currently visible on-screen.
The overview strip lets you get an immediate idea of the extent of the differences between the two folder hierarchies. You can also click on it to jump quickly to a particular change.
Step 5
PMdiff allows you to select multiple pairs of files so that file comparison windows can be opened for each pair in one go using the Compare Selected Files toolbar button.
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You can also open a file comparison window for a pair of changed files by double-clicking them in the folder comparison window. This is a powerful technique for rapidly merging entire folder hierarchies. |
You can select all the pairs of changed files in a single step by clicking the Select Changed Files toolbar button.
Click Select Changed Files now, then click Compare Selected Files. A file comparison window will be opened for every single pair of changed files.
Use PMdiff's visual merging capabilities (see the File Merging Tutorial) to reconcile the differences between each pair of files.
Close each file comparison window when you have finished with it. When there are no windows left open you will have reconciled all of your colleague's file changes with your own.
Important tip
When comparing many files using Compare Selected Files, it can be overwhelming to have file comparison windows opened for every file pair all at once.
To solve this problem, you can set a limit on the number of file comparisons opened at once. You configure this on the Folder Comparison tab of the Options property sheet.
Once you've examined and closed some of the comparison windows that were opened, you can click the Compare Selected Files button again and some more file comparison windows (up to the limit) will be opened.
If you have the Minimize window after opening file comparison views option checked the folder comparison window will minimize itself when there are no more files to compare.
Step 6
Although you have merged all the pairs of changed files, your colleague has introduced some new files that have no counterpart in your source tree.
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Although the tutorial up until this point applies to PMdiff 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7, you will need PMdiff 4.6 or later for file copying. |
These are the files in the right hand tree that are shown with plus signs in their icons.
Select any such files, then click the Copy to Left toolbar button.
The Copy Files dialog is displayed.
This dialog summarizes all of the files that you have selected and where they will be copied.
Make sure that the Create required folders automatically checkbox is checked, and then click OK.
The new files from your colleague's source tree will be copied into the appropriate places in your source tree.
Summary
You have reconciled all of your colleague's work with your own!
All file differences have been merged, and you have copied your colleague's new files into your source tree.