Terminology
Terms used in this documentation are defined below.
Comparisons
DiffDog enables you to make the following kinds of comparisons: File Comparisons, Directory Comparisons, Microsoft Word document Comparisons, XML Schema Comparisons, Database Schema Comparisons, and Database Data Comparisons.
File comparison
A file comparison is the process of comparing two files. The term is also used to refer to the display of results of the comparison.
File Comparison window
Each file comparison is displayed in a File Comparison window. Multiple file comparisons can be open in DiffDog at a time, but only one may be active at any given time.
Microsoft Word document comparison
A Microsoft Word document comparison is the process of comparing two Microsoft Word (*.doc or *.docx) files. The term is also used to refer to the display of results of the comparison.
Word Comparison window
Each Microsoft Word document comparison is displayed in a Word Comparison window. Multiple Microsoft Word document comparisons can be open in DiffDog at a time, but only one may be active at any given time.
Directory comparison
A directory comparison is the process of comparing two directories. The term is also used to refer to the display of the results of the comparison.
Directory Comparison window
Each directory comparison is displayed in a Directory Comparison window. Multiple directory comparisons can be open in DiffDog at a time, but only one may be active at any given time.
Database Data comparison
A database data comparison is the process of comparing the content of tables contained in two databases.
Database Data Comparison window
Each database data comparison is displayed in a Database Data Comparison window. Multiple database data comparisons can be open in DiffDog at a time, but only one may be active at any given time.
Database Schema comparison
A database schema comparison is the process of comparing the structure of tables contained in two database schemas.
Database Schema Comparison window
Each database schema comparison is displayed in a Database Schema Comparison window. Multiple database schema comparisons can be open in DiffDog at a time, but only one may be active at any given time.
XML Schema comparison
An XML schema comparison is the process of comparing two XML schemas. The term is also used to refer to the display of results of the comparison.
XML Schema Comparison window
Each XML schema comparison is displayed in an XML Schema Comparison window. Multiple XML schema comparisons can be open in DiffDog at a time, but only one may be active at any given time.
Component
In Database Data comparisons, Database Structure comparisons, and XML Schema comparisons, the items to be compared are contained in two components within the respective comparison window. The components are used to select and map the items of the comparison and provide several context menu options.
Data source
The database that hosts the tables compared in a database data or database schema comparison is referred to as data source. You need a connection to a data source in order to start a database data or database schema comparison in DiffDog.
Database Data Comparison Result window
In contrast to file and directory comparisons, the results of a database data comparison are not displayed directly in the Database Data Comparison window but in a separate window which is called the Database Data Comparison Result window. The Database Data Comparison window itself provides only a short overview stating whether or not the data in the two tables is equal and how many rows are different or exist only on one side of the comparison.
Directories and Folders
These two terms are used interchangeably.
Difference
Six types of differences are distinguished: (1) differences between two compared files, (2) differences between two compared directories, (3) differences between two compared Microsoft Word documents, (4) differences between the data in tables of two compared databases, (5) differences between the structure in schemas of two compared databases, and (6) differences between two compared XML Schemas.
1.A difference between two files that are compared as text denotes a line of text in a file that is different from the corresponding line (if any) in the compared file. Note that the entire line is considered to be a single difference—even if the option to show differences within lines is selected. (This is significant when merging differences because the entire line will be merged; merges are not carried out at the character level.) A line of text is considered to be different from its corresponding line if one or more characters of text in it are different, if text is missing, or if a line is present for which there is no corresponding line in the compared file. A difference between two files that are compared as XML denotes a node that is different from the corresponding node in the compared file. In general, nodes are considered different if the corresponding text values do not match. What constitutes a difference can be further refined in the Comparison Options dialog box.
2.Differences between two compared directories are determined by comparing corresponding files within the two compared directories. In Quick Comparison Mode, the file sizes and timestamps of the corresponding files are compared. If one of these is different, the files are said to be different. Alternatively, corresponding files within directories are compared on the basis of their contents. Such comparisons are carried out as normal DiffDog file comparisons, and a difference causes the files to be flagged as different. Also see the definition of Equal Files and Non-Equal Files.
3.A difference between two Microsoft Word documents denotes a sentence or a paragraph (depending on the settings you have defined in the Word comparison options) that is different from the corresponding sentence/paragraph (if any) in the compared document. Note that the entire sentence/paragraph is considered to be a single difference—even if the option to show differences within lines is selected. (This is significant when merging differences because the entire sentence/paragraph will be merged; merges are not carried out at the character level.) A sentence/paragraph is considered to be different from its corresponding sentence/paragraph if one or more characters of text in it are different, if text is missing, or if a sentence/paragraph is present for which there is no corresponding line in the compared file.
4.A difference between tables in two databases when strings are compared occurs when the string representation of the data contained in a field is different between the two tables. A difference between tables in two databases when the content of a database is compared using the database's internal data types (native comparison) occurs when the content of a field itself (and not its string representation which might be different for the same content in different databases) in the first table does not match the content of the corresponding field in the second table.
5.A difference between the structure of schemas in two compared databases occurs when the name or data type of a database item is different or when a database item exists in one schema that is missing in the other schema.
6.A difference between two compared XML Schemas occurs when items exist in one XML Schema that are missing in the other XML Schema or when the names of items are different.
Equal Files
In directory comparisons, files that are identical according to the comparison options, are said to be equal.
Non-equal Files
In directory comparisons, there are two types of non-equal files: (1) a different file (see definition of Difference above), and (2) a file that is present in one directory but not in the other. Note that a non-equal file is not necessarily a different file.
Mapping
In database data, database schema, and XML Schema comparisons, each table, column, or item, respectively, in the left comparison component has to be assigned a table, column, or item, respectively, in the right comparison component to be compared with. This process is called mapping in DiffDog and can be done either automatically by the application based on column name and/or data type, or manually by the user using the mouse.
Merging
Differences found in a file, database data, or database schema comparison can be merged, that is, copied from one file or table, respectively, to the other. The block that is copied overwrites the corresponding block or space in the compared file/database. In file comparisons, merges are performed for the active (current) difference, and can be performed in either direction. In database comparisons, merges are performed either for all or for the selected items. Note that non-equal files in a Directory Comparison can also be copied from one pane (directory) to the other and that rows that exist only on one side of a database data comparison can be copied to the other side.
Synchronizing
Two directories that are different are synchronized by copying or deleting, respectively, all non-equal files and sub-folders from one directory to the other, or by deleting files that are present in one directory but not in the other. The default synchronization options are displayed in the Synchronize directories dialog box where they can be changed for the entire directory. Additionally, you can also edit the synchronization actions for individual files or sub-folders.