Compare/Merge preferences

Use the VersionVault Compare/Merge preferences dialog box to specify styles, behaviors, and tool preferences for comparing and merging files.

The Compare/Merge preferences page allows you to adjust display settings and specify which tool runs by default when a compare or merge operation is started. In addition, special handling for compare or merge operations can be based on a resource's name or type using the override table on the preferences page. Here, a regular expression can be used to match a resource's name, or, if string matching is not appropriate, as is the case for directories, a resource specifier may be used. To use a resource specifier, precede the resource with "%". For example, to match a directory resource, enter the string "%directory". Some examples are provided in the Resource Type menu in the Override Table: {%directory, %text_file_delta, %utf8_file_delta}.

Controls in the dialog box

The following controls are displayed in the Compare/Merge preferences dialog box.

Column name Displays
Mark-up Styles Sets display colors and formats for each of the different states listed. The color and format associated with each state is applied to code that is identified as being unchanged or changed in the manner described. To adjust the settings, select a state in the list box and specify formatting options for the currently selected state. You can click the box to the right of Color to open a color palette and select a text color and you can also set the Bold, Italic, Strikethrough, or Underline options if you want the state to be displayed with that formatting.
General Font Style Select the font settings for text that is displayed. These settings are independent of the different states and apply to all instances of Compare/Merge text.
After saving the merge output
Note: This option applies only to the merge operation.
Click to specify the HCL VersionVault Explorer behavior after the output of a merge operation has been saved. To invoke a text prompt, click Ask me what to do, which is the default selection. To change the behavior to Close the merge view and commit the merge or Do nothing, select the behavior you want from the list.
Show Line Numbers Click to display line numbers in contributor panes in the Merge view and Compare view. In the Merge view, line numbers are not displayed in the results pane.
Hide Base Contributor Pane Click to specify that when merge contributors are displayed in the Merge view, the base contributor pane does not appear.
Ignore Blank Spaces (only for Compare) Click to specify that added or removed blank lines are not shown as changes in the Compare view. Changes to this setting are applied the next time a compare operation is started.
Automatically scroll to first difference or unresolved merge points When the Compare/Merge view opens the first difference or merge point is highlighted and displayed.
For Logical Model integrations, perform merges automatically, if possible If set, all files in the Logical Model are merged automatically if possible. If manual merges are required, you must resolve each conflict using the merge tool.
Note: This option is only available if the HCL VersionVault Explorer is integrated with a product that supports Logical Models.
Always prompt before restarting merge Prompts the user and pends before restarting the merge process.
Insert BOM in UTF-8 merge output if any UTF-8 contributor contains BOM If set, the Unicode BOM character is treated as metadata for diff/merge operations using Unicode Type Manager diff/merge tools. If the merge output character encoding is UTF-8 and if any of the UTF-8 contributors has a BOM, then the merge output will also have a BOM.
Use this tool as the default Click to specify the tool that opens by default any time a merge or compare operation is started.
Note: If you have created a 3rd-party Compare/Merge Provider using the Manage Providers preferences page and if you have specified the 3rd party provider as both a Compare tool and a Merge tool, it appears in this pull-down list.
Override the default tool for the following types Click to specify one or more resource types that you want to be merged or compared using a different tool than the one set in Use this tool as the default.
Add Activate a new line in the override box where you can enter or choose a resource type from the menu, then choose a tool for the compare operation and a tool for the merge operation.
Resource types Enter a resource type or select one from the menu.
Compare provider Select a tool to use when comparing the resource type specified in the Resource types column of the same row.
Merge provider Select a tool to use when merging the resource type specified in the Resource types column of the same row.
Preprocessor Use the Manage Providers preferences page to set up a 3rd-party preprocessor application or script to run before a Compare/Merge operation. A preprocessor associated with a 3-rd party Compare/Merge Provider appears in this column.
Remove Removes selected overrides from the override box.
Restore Defaults Restores all settings and option to their original states.
Apply Applies changes and leaves the Preferences window open.
OK Applies any changes and dismisses the Preferences window.
Cancel Cancels the operation.