Oxygen XML Forum

Here are some ideas for improving the diff tools, so they go from being good, to great:

1) Allow user input of diff paths into what's currently just a pull down menu of previously used paths. I'd still like to be able to have history, but it would save a lot of time to also be able to type or cut and paste a path in immediately.

2) Persist path history after the current diff tool instantiation. When I restart it, I'd like to see my previously used paths from the last session.

3) In the dir diff tool, better thread the diffing of large directory trees. This is particularly useful for large trees accessed over slow network links. It would be useful if first the directory structure was delineated, while another thread went off and started working on diffing the various files in the tree. Further, if the user selects a part of the tree that has not already have its files diffed, priority should shift to diffing that part of the tree, before returning to the rest. See how the Windows product Beyond Compare elegantly handles this, for an example. On slow network directory structures, this would allow users to get a rough outline of the structure, then drill down to where they are interested in quickly, with the differ just as quickly reacting to diff the relevant portion first.

4) Please allow the diff windows for to be switched from from side-by-side (vertical) comparison to over-under (horizontal) comparison.

Dear Mike,

Thanks for the suggestions, I added a feature request in our internal list for them and they will be discussed.

About number 4: Are you referring to the diff directories or the diff files tools?
What advantage would this layout have over the classical side-by-side one?

Best ragards,
Radu

Hi Radu,

Thanks for taking the suggestions.

On number 4 I do mean in the file comparison tool. (It would be nice for the user to be able to change to a vertical layout in the directory comparison view as well, say if they are comparing a directory structure that is deep with subdirectories and thus very wide on screen, but I'm more concerned with file comparison.) The vertical layout has the advantage of allowing easier visual comparison of lines that are long, in their entirety, without having to scroll sideways.

In the current layout, you not only have to scroll through the vertical axis, but when you hit a long line, you have to stop and scroll horizontally.

Obviously even if a vertical layout is allowed, some lines can still exceed the size of the document window, however, the chance that this is the case is diminished...particularly with the now prevalent widescreen monitors.

Hi Mike,

I understood your point.
In the meantime you can active the "Line wrap" checkbox available in the "Diff->Appearance" preference page so that all the lines of text will be wrapped so that they fit the display area.

Regards,
Radu