WinMerge is a free and open-source tool for visual differencing and merging files and directories. It is designed to help users understand and integrate changes in different file versions, making it an essential tool for developers, project managers, and anyone who needs to manage and track file changes.

Key Features

• Visual differencing and merging of text files
• Flexible comparison and merging of entire directory trees
• Highlighting differences down to the level of lines, words, or characters
• Support for various file formats and encoding standards
• Integration with version control systems

Installation

System Requirements

• Windows XP or later
• Approximately 20 MB of free disk space

Downloading WinMerge

1. Visit the official WinMerge website.
2. Click on the “Download” section.
3. Choose the appropriate version for your operating system and download the installer.

Installing WinMerge

1. Run the downloaded installer file.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
3. Launch WinMerge from the Start menu or by using the desktop shortcut.

Getting Started

User Interface Overview

• Menu Bar: Contains all the commands and settings.
• Toolbar: Provides quick access to commonly used features.
• File Pane: Displays the files or folders being compared.
• Diff Pane: Shows the differences between the selected files or folders.
• Status Bar: Displays information about the current comparison and merge status.

Opening Files and Folders

1. Launch WinMerge.
2. Go to File> Open.
3. Select the files or folders you want to compare.
4. Click OK to start the comparison.

File and Folder Comparison

Performing a File Comparison

1. Go to File> Open.
2. Browse and select the two files you want to compare in the dialog.
3. Click OK.
4. The differences will be displayed side by side in the diff pane.

Performing a Folder Comparison

1. Go to File> Open.
2. In the dialog, select the folders you want to compare.
3. Click OK.
4. WinMerge will display the differences in a tree view.

Navigating Differences

• Use the navigation buttons in the toolbar to move between differences.
• Differences are highlighted in the text with different colors for added, removed, and modified content.

Merging Changes

Merging Differences in Files

1. Open the files you want to merge.
2. Use the merge commands (Copy Left, Copy Right) to merge changes from one File to another.
3. Save the merged File.

Merging Differences in Folders

1. Open the folders you want to merge.
2. Select the items to merge.
3. Use the context menu or toolbar buttons to merge the selected items.
4. Save the changes.

Advanced Features

Syntax Highlighting

• WinMerge supports syntax highlighting for various programming languages.
• Go to Edit > Syntax Coloring to enable or disable syntax highlighting.

Line Filters

• Line filters allow you to exclude certain lines from comparison.
• Go to Edit > Line Filters to set up custom filters.

File Filters

• File filters let you include or exclude specific file types during folder comparison.
• Go to Edit > File Filters to configure filters.

Plugins

Installing Plugins

1. Download the desired plugin from the WinMerge website or other sources.
2. Extract the plugin files to the WinMerge Plugins folder.
3. Restart WinMerge.

Using Plugins

• Go to Plugins in the menu bar.
• Please select the desired plugin to enable or configure it.

Command Line Usage

Basic Command Line Syntax

• path1 and path2 are the files or directories to compare.
• [options] are additional command-line arguments.

Common Command Line Options

• -r: Compare directories recursively.
• -x: Exclude files matching a pattern.
• -f: Include only files matching a pattern.

Common Use Cases

Code Review

• Compare different versions of source code to understand changes.
• Merge changes from feature branches into the main codebase.

Backup Verification

• Compare backup files or directories with the original to ensure consistency.

Document Versioning

• Track changes in documents over time.
• Merge revisions from multiple collaborators.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• File Encoding Problems: Ensure the correct encoding is selected for each File.
• Performance Issues: For large files or directories, increase the available memory or divide the comparison into smaller parts.

Getting Help

• Check the WinMerge documentation for detailed guides and FAQs.
• Visit the WinMerge forums for community support.

Support and Contributions

Reporting Bugs

• Report bugs and issues on the WinMerge GitHub repository.

Contributing to WinMerge

• Contribute to the project by submitting pull requests, reporting issues, or helping with documentation.
• Follow the contribution guidelines on the WinMerge GitHub repository.

Donations

• Support the development of WinMerge by donating through the official website.
• This documentation provides a comprehensive overview of WinMerge, including its features, usage, and support resources. For more detailed information, please refer to the official WinMerge documentation and user guides on the WinMerge website.