Project Description

Visual Studio Comparison Tools is a add-in for Visual Studio which uses external tools to compare files, folders and clipboard. Features: Comparing two files, selecting folders for comparison from the solution explorer and comparing (and merging) clipboard to a file or selected area in a file

Visual Studio Gallery Page: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=MikkoHalttunen.VisualStudioComparisonTools

Prerequisites

• Requires a comparison util such as WinMerge or Beyond Compare
• Tested with WinMerge and Beyond Compare 3 & 4. Write to the comments if you encounter problems setting up other tools!

Extension Installation (For VS 2012/2013/2015/2017)

• Install through visual studio Extension Manager or by double clicking the vsix file

Extension Installation (For VS 2010) Build 3.1.40

• Double click the vsix file of found from [https://github.com/exxxxxx/comparisontools/raw/master/Publish/2010/VSCompTools.vsix]

Add-In Installation (For VS 2005/2008) Build 2.2

• Download the installation package from [https://github.com/exxxxxx/comparisontools/raw/master/Publish/2008/VisualStudioComparisonToolsSetup.msi]
• Running the setup will copy files "VisualStudioComparisonTools.dll" and "VisualStudioComparisonTools.addin" to Visual Studio's add-in directory. The VisualStudioComparisonTools add-in can be used next time Visual Studio is restarted.

Usage

• Compare to Clipboard has two different compare modes:
  • Clipboard to File comparison
    • Right click text in the editor and select "Compare with clipboard". The active file will be saved.
    • Winmerge will open and changes from the clipboard (right panel, read only) can be merged to the file (left panel).
    • Saving will save the changes to the real file.
  • Clipboard to Text editor selection comparison
    • Select text in a file. Right click the selected text and select "Compare with clipboard". The active file will be saved.
    • Winmerge will open and changes from the clipboard (right panel, read only) can be merged to the selection (left panel).
    • Saving and exiting winmerge will merge the changes inside the selection to the file where the selection was.
• Compare selected files shows up when two files are selected in the solution explorer.
  • The comparison is done totally in the merge tool and both files are editable.
• Compare selected folders shows up when two directories are selected in the solution explorer.
  • The comparison is done totally in the merge tool.

Configuration for Add-In

• Configuration file can be found from Environment.SpecialFolder.CommonApplicationData \ VisualStudioComparisonTools\ config.xml
  • (In Vista and Windows 7: C:\ProgramData\Visual Studio Comparison Tools)
• Comparison tool exe path
  • Doesn't anymore need to be WinMerge
  • Default: C:\Program Files (x86)\WinMerge\WinMergeU.exe
  • If not found from the default folder, tries to find it from both Program Files or Program Files (x86)
• Parameters to the comparison tool (see example from the configuration file)
  • Tags which will be replaced by the add-in:
    • {"%File1%"} First filename to compare
    • {"%File2%"} Second filename to compare
    • {"%SELECTION_FILENAME%"} (file name used in the title in winmerge, when comparing selection from a file instead of the full file
    • {"%SELECTION_TITLE%"} WinMerge's title arguments when comparing selection of a file
    • {"%CLIPBOARD_TITLE%"} WinMerge's title arguments when comparing clipboard
• VisualStudioComparisonTools will use system temp directory to store temporary files, but it can be configured to store them solution's directory under _VisualStudioComparisonTools folder

Problems with Add-In

• If the "Compare to Clipboard" text doesn't appear in the right click context menu, try the following:
  • Go to the command prompt. Go to the location of devenv.exe (for example "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE")
  • Write "devenv.exe /resetaddin VisualStudioComparisonTools.Connect" and press enter.
• If you encounter any problems, copy the file "VisualStudioComparisonTools.dll.log4net" and log4net.dll from the application directory to the location of devenv.exe. A VisualStudioComparisonTools-log.txt file will be created.
  • Visual studio 2017:
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 15.0\Common7\IDE
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 15.0\Common7\IDE
  • Visual studio 2015:
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\IDE
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\IDE
  • Visual studio 2013:
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE
  • Visual studio 2012:
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE
  • Visual studio 2010:
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\IDE
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\IDE
  • Visual studio 2008:
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE
  • Visual Studio 2005
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE

Other used libraries

• log4net - http://logging.apache.org/log4net/index.html