Code Compare Pro

Devart proudly presents Code Compare — an advanced visual file and folder compare tool and a major step forward in source code diff and merge. Seamless integration into your version control system allows for a better and quicker change tracking and synchronization.

Intuitive user-friendly interface guarantees that you can start comparing and merging your source files in a snap. Packed with numerous cutting-edge features and distributed as a standalone application or as a Visual Studio add-in, Code Compare demonstrates eloquently that we would never offer our customers but the best file comparison software.

Code Oriented File Comparison

Source code comparison has just become a child's play! Code Compare introduces the concept of Code Orientation, ultimately making it stand out from competitive file diff software. The concept implies syntax highlighting as well as unique structure and lexical comparison algorithms. The file compare tool takes into account language specifics, which allows comparing sources in several of the most popular programming languages as code!

Syntax Highlighting

Code Compare recognizes language syntax elements and highlights them in different colors, which makes visual file compare and merge considerably easier. This is complemented with the Brace Matching feature that highlights the beginning and ending of a code block. Ultimately, you are able to experience an incomparably convenient code reading for comprehensive file comparison.

Structure Comparison

The concept of Code Orientation stands on several pillars, Structure Comparison being one of them. This method allows to compare source code by its signature, instead of the location only. Code Compare supports Structure Comparison for several most popular languages, namely C#, JavaScript, Java and Visual Basic altogether making it a flexible tool for source code comparison.

Lexical Comparison

Next key point in the code orientation concept is Lexical Comparison. This algorithm is triggered when you choose Symbol By Symbol file compare mode. It detects lexemes from the supported languages and compares them word by word. Code Compare supports C#, C++, Visual Basic and JavaScript sources for Lexical Comparison.

Difference Explorer

One other element of source-oriented file compare is Difference Explorer. This advanced option (available in Code Compare Pro only) displays changes in class structure between revisions. It displays a structure tree of the compared source files and marks changes with colors. This way you can visually review and navigate changes in the code.

Folder Synchronization

From now on, even if you don't use a version control system, the extensive functionality of Code Compare will come in handy when you need to compare and merge entire folders. This diff tool is useful for detecting changes in different versions of source code or web pages. Advanced integration capabilities of this file comparison tool couldn't miss Windows Explorer. All you have to do to compare the contents of two folders is select them and choose the corresponding option from the context menu.

Compare folders and copy changes — it's that easy!

The folder comparison feature uses color highlighting to mark differences. You can diff and merge folders with the help of Copy to Left and Copy to Right items of the context menu. If you want to compare a file from one folder with a corresponding file from another just double-click the file or highlight it and press ENTER.

The resulting comparison is fairly quick, yet it can be further enhanced through the additional option to skip files with equal size and timestamp.

Another helpful option is the file and folder filtering. For instance, it allows you to ignore binary files and subversion folders.

Comparison of individual files can be invoked by double-clicking or using Windows Explorer menu, integrated in context menu of files and folders. Finally, you can merge separated files one-by-one or entire folders from one pane to the other.

Three-way Merge

Three-way file compare and merge tool is one of the distinctive features of Code Compare. This function uses all the features native to two-way file comparison processing three files at once. The main goal is comparing one base file to its two editions. Highly-customizable GUI and one-click operation make three-way merge an ultimately convenient solution for team projects.

Three-way merge in a snap!

With this feature, the content of a file placed on the center pane is simultaneously compared to that of the left and the right pane-placed files. You can open any three files using the Browse button as well as the Windows Explorer context menu or drag and drop.

Also, this feature is most commonly used to solve conflicts in version control systems. Three-way file diff and merge tool allows you to merge two derived files to a base file or to a result file.

As one of its newest additions, Code Compare GUI features a special toolbar for working with pane layout. Using these panes you can quickly switch between horizontal or vertical layout as well as hide any of the displayed panes, leaving only those necessary for you.

Smooth Visual Studio Integration

Looking to make source file compare and merge even more effective, we've added unique Visual Studio integration functionality to Code Compare. The true freedom of performing all the development and merging operations within one environment at the same time is finally at your hands. With the file compare tool integrated, Visual Studio receives a special Code Compare menu and toolbar that contain every function you needed for file comparison and 3-way merge.

The one environment for development and merge!

While distributed as a standalone file comparison tool, Code Compare can also be smoothly integrated into different software environments, e.g. Windows Explorer, version control systems, and most notably — Microsoft Visual Studio integrated development environment.

With Code Compare integrated into Visual Studio 2008, 2010, or 2012 you receive numerous benefits in terms of file comparison and merging.

For instance, you can view and compare the code directly in the native Visual Studio code editor, using all of its functionality, including keyboard shortcuts, code formatting and syntax validation the way you are used to. As a part of its advanced Visual Studio integration capabilities, Code Compare uses native Visual Studio colors to highlight syntax. Also, in this case Code Navigation and Intellisense function in the context of currently open solution.

Comparing the project structure and merging its elements can now be performed using the solution explorer menu, containing a Code Compare item.