suppress merge window for 3-file diff?

[MudGuard]

Hi,

I sometimes need to view 3 versions of a file - but without the need to merge them.
I call ExamDiffPro with parameters
/merge file1 file2 file3
and get the merge window.
Calling ExamDiffPro with just
file1 file2 file3
results in ExamDiffPro outputting its parameters.

I could move the separator down as far as possible so that Merge window is invisible.
But sometimes I want to see the merge window - and then I have to remember that I gave it height = 0.

What I would need is a separate command line switch, something like
/3waydiff file1 file2 file3
which would just diff the files without merge window. Or even without switch - just like two files as parameters shows two files without a merge window, when there are three files as parameters, just show the 3 diff windows for the 3 files ...

Or did I miss a paramter that already does what I want?
Andreas

[psguru]

No, it's not currently possible. I'll add the following suggestion to the wish list:

Ability to hide the output pane in 3-way merging.

[MudGuard]

Ok


(though I admit I hoped for the "this will be fixed in the next build" answer

[AlexL]

Hello.

If I understand correctly, the original post was about just comparing three files, probably without any relation to a merge operation.
If we look on it this way, then:
- Maybe this has been already implemented?
Taking into account that 3-way merge already exists, this seems to be pretty close to implementation of comparing 3 files.

Such feature as comparing 3 files will put ExamDiff Pro into a new position on the market - where people won't need to keep several comparison programs installed.

By the way, not sure I may dare to suggest, but maybe it would be even possible to advance from comparison of 3 files to comparison of N files?

Thank you.

[psguru]

Taking into account that 3-way merge already exists, this seems to be pretty close to implementation of comparing 3 files.

Such feature as comparing 3 files will put ExamDiff Pro into a new position on the market - where people won't need to keep several comparison programs installed.

Agreed, we'll be adding this to the next version.

By the way, not sure I may dare to suggest, but maybe it would be even possible to advance from comparison of 3 files to comparison of N files?

It's a daring thought all right but we had some internal discussions about this, nothing concrete though yet.

[AlexL]

OK, thanks for considering addition of 3 files comparison.

But maybe it would be worth to mention that adding 3 files comparison will only align EDP with some competitors (from the point of view of this specific feature).
However, N files comparison will put EDP in front of them.
I did not perform market analysis, but I don't remember even a single application which can do it.

By the way, if 3 files comparison will be added, I'm going to use it from command line. Hence such command line support would be very desirable too.

Thank you.

[zoobersoft]

Taking into account that 3-way merge already exists, this seems to be pretty close to implementation of comparing 3 files.

Such feature as comparing 3 files will put ExamDiff Pro into a new position on the market - where people won't need to keep several comparison programs installed.

Agreed, we'll be adding this to the next version.

........

Is there any timeline for comparing 3 files?

[psguru]

We plan to include this in the next version, although there are concrete dates for this yet.

[psguru]

To clarify, here's what we have in mind as one of the features planned for the next version:

• There will be a mode in Text Merge, available to 3-way diff/merge only, to perform only 3-way diff, without merging.
• This mode will be triggered either from the command line or from the Compare Dialog
• In this new mode the output (merge) pane at the bottom will not be visible
• Also, Ignore options will be taken from the Text Compare page rather then Text Merge
• Also, just like in Text Merge, files will not be editable, and all merge commands will be disabled. In other words, this new mode will be read-only, at least for the next release