dir and file comparison inconsistent?

[stunorton]

I am comparing two directories and some files are listed as changed, but when I click on the files, they are identical. Why aren't they listed as "Same" in the directory view?

I have turned off all of the options to speed up directory comparison, so I thought it would be using the same method for comparison as with files.

I should mention that I am using some of the features to ignore whitespace and regular expressions. Are some of these not handled in a directory comparison?

Thanks,
Stuart

p.s. Here is my options file:
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
; ExamDiff Pro
; Version 3.2c
; File Version 3.2.4.1
; Build 6/8/2004 6:28:45 PM
; Windows Version: Microsoft Windows XP 0012FDA8 (Build 2600)
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
[Compare]
Ignore all white space=0
Ignore changes in white space=1
Ignore leading white space=1
Ignore trailing white space=1
Ignore case=0
Ignore blank lines=1
Ignore matching lines=0
Treat binary as text=0
Detail level=0
First chars to ignore=0
Last chars to ignore=0
Expand tabs=0
Ignore line parts=1
Support Unicode=1
Regular expression hex=5C 00
Regular expression 2 hex=3C 00 6C 00 69 00 6E 00 6B 00 49 00 74 00 65 00 6D 00 20 00 74 00 79 00 70 00 65 00 3D 00 22 00 2E 00 2A 00 22 00 28 00 20 00 6C 00 69 00 62 00 72 00 61 00 72 00 79 00 3D 00 22 00 2E 00 2A 00 29 00 3F 00 3E 00 7C 00 3C 00 5C 00 3F 00 2E 00 2A 00 5C 00 3F 00 3E 00
[Display]
Show line numbers=1
Show dir listview tooltips=1
Use Explorer icons=1
Sync Vertically=1
Sync Horizontally=1
Sync Vertically Dir=1
Sync Horizontally Dir=0
Scroll Cur Diff=0
Show Color Bars=1
Use foreground colors=1
Tab size=4
Color bar width=6
File Screen Font Face Name=Courier
File Screen Font Height=-13
File Screen Font Italic=0
File Screen Font Weight=400
File Screen Font Pitch=49
File Screen Charset=0
File Printer Font Face Name=Courier New
File Printer Font Height=-13
File Printer Font Italic=0
File Printer Font Weight=400
File Printer Font Pitch=49
File Printer Charset=0
Directory Screen Font Face Name=MS Sans Serif
Directory Screen Font Height=-11
Directory Screen Font Italic=0
Directory Screen Font Weight=400
Directory Screen Font Pitch=34
Directory Screen Charset=0
Directory Printer Font Face Name=MS Sans Serif
Directory Printer Font Height=-11
Directory Printer Font Italic=0
Directory Printer Font Weight=400
Directory Printer Font Pitch=34
Directory Printer Charset=0
Added Color=(128, 0, 0)
Deleted Color=(0, 0, 255)
Changed Color=(0, 0, 0)
Changed Color 2=(255, 15, 135)
Inserted Color=(0, 0, 0)
Ignored Color=(255, 255, 0)
Newer Color=(128, 0, 128)
Older Color=(255, 0, 0)
Back Added Color=(192, 192, 192)
Back Deleted Color=(224, 224, 224)
Back Changed Color=(242, 242, 198)
Back Changed Color 2=(224, 224, 224)
Back Inserted Color=(192, 192, 192)
Back Ignored Color=(192, 192, 192)
Back Newer Color=(166, 202, 240)
Back Older Color=(192, 220, 192)
Back Added Hatch=-1
Back Deleted Hatch=-1
Back Changed Hatch=-1
Back Changed Hatch 2=-1
Back Inserted Hatch=-1
Back Ignored Hatch=-1
Back Newer Hatch=-1
Back Older Hatch=-1
[Misc]
Editor hex=6E 00 6F 00 74 00 65 00 70 00 61 00 64 00 2E 00 65 00 78 00 65 00
Arguments=$FILE
Recent Files=20
Recent Strings=20
Enable Change Notifications=1
Compare Dialog On Top=0
Minimize For New Pair=0
Use View Filter To Save Diff=1
Custom separators=0
Word separators hex=5C 00 2F 00 21 00 2E 00 2C 00 3B 00 3A 00
Scroll after new compare=0
Scroll after re-compare=0
Horz scroll after re-compare=0
Reuse window pos=0
Print selection by default=0
Show newline warning=0
Show edit undo warning=1
Show diff combo message=1
Show identical names message=1
Show identical text files message=1
Show identical bin files message=1
Show identical directories message=1
Show different text files message=0
Show different bin files message=0
Show different directories message=0
Show options changed directories message=1
Show comparison too slow message=1
Show clipboard message=1
Show Regex message=1
[Directory comparison]
Include filter hex=2A 00
Exclude filter hex=
New instance=1
New instance dirs=1
Initial sort=2
Initial sort column=Path
Initial sort direction=1
Same if same time and size=0
Diff if diff size=0
Diff if diff attr=0
Diff if diff CRC=0
Diff if diff version=0
Diff if diff time=0
Time diff to ignore=2
Timezone diff=0
No dir sizes=1
Handling of sub-dirs=2
Batch printing=0
No diff number=0
Show empty dirs=0
Allow to copy to and from=1
[Word wrap]
Enable wrap=0
Simple word wrap=0
Wrap width=60
[File editing]
Enable edit=0
Save before recompare=0
Allow edit readonly=0
Create backups=1
Convert tabs to spaces=0
Change diff pos=0
[View Filter]
File view same=1
File view added=1
File view deleted=1
File view changed=1
Dir view same=0
Dir view added=1
Dir view deleted=1
Dir view changed=1
Dir view newer=1
Use view name filter=0
Context lines=0
Include names hex=2A 00
Exclude names hex=
[Dir columns]
Show name=1
Show rel path=1
Show size=1
Show type=1
Show time=1
Show status=1
Show attributes=1
Show diff number=1
Show CRC=0
Show version=0
Name order=0
Rel path order=1
Size order=2
Type order=3
Time order=4
Status order=5
Attributes order=6
Diff number order=7
CRC order=8
Version order=9
Show rel path option=0
Resize sync=0
Thread priority=0
[Binary]
Bytes per line=16
Fit to window=0
Byte format=0
Byte case=0
Editor hex=
Arguments=$FILE
Block size=1
[HTML]
Vert HTML Template hex=43 00 3A 00 5C 00 50 00 72 00 6F 00 67 00 72 00 61 00 6D 00 20 00 46 00 69 00 6C 00 65 00 73 00 5C 00 45 00 78 00 61 00 6D 00 44 00 69 00 66 00 66 00 20 00 50 00 72 00 6F 00 5C 00 64 00 69 00 66 00 66 00 74 00 65 00 6D 00 70 00 6C 00 5F 00 76 00 2E 00 68 00 74 00 6D 00
Horz HTML Template hex=43 00 3A 00 5C 00 50 00 72 00 6F 00 67 00 72 00 61 00 6D 00 20 00 46 00 69 00 6C 00 65 00 73 00 5C 00 45 00 78 00 61 00 6D 00 44 00 69 00 66 00 66 00 20 00 50 00 72 00 6F 00 5C 00 64 00 69 00 66 00 66 00 74 00 65 00 6D 00 70 00 6C 00 5F 00 76 00 2E 00 68 00 74 00 6D 00
[Global - General]
Shell integration=1
Shell options=
[Keyboard]
Keys=6815743,102536,33751086,123206,33751152,102537,16973832,102541,
16973869,102539,16973833,102540,17235977,98475,34275395,102844,34275399,
98483,34275399,98481,17498121,98482,17760265,98484,16973833,98487,
17235977,98485,17498149,98486,17498151,102636,16973861,102637,17236005,
102638,16973863,102639,17236007,102646,16973864,102649,17498152,102647,
17236008,102654,16973859,102655,17236003,102640,17498149,102641,
17760293,102652,16973858,102653,17236002,102650,16973857,102651,
17236001,102642,17498151,102643,17760295,102644,16973862,102648,
17498150,102645,17236006,163850,34275410,33751156,98315,34537521,
98316,34537522,98312,34275411,98317,34275377,98318,34275378,98319,
34275394,98307,34275402,98309,34275398,98310,33751154,98311,34013298,
102660,17498147,102661,17760291,102656,16973860,102658,17498148,102657,
17236004,102659,17760292,98325,34275412,98326,34275447,98335,34013302,
98334,33751158,98327,34275412,98324,34275411,98322,34275448,98323,
34275449,98343,34275413,98344,34275450,98345,34275451,98349,34537555,
98351,34275448,98341,34275407,98338,34275396,98350,34275415,98342,
34275401,98348,35323988,98337,34275446,98340,33751086,98339,33751153,
98358,34275397,98352,34275449,98364,34799629,103538,34537518,98373,
34275450,98374,34275451,98375,34275406,98368,34275442,98369,34537586,
98398,34275404,123143,34275408,98397,34275393,102759,34275441,102760,
33751153,102761,34013297,102762,34537585,98405,34013230,98424,34275409,
188715,17498202,18022408,188716,17498201,18284552,188707,17498200,
17236014,188706,17498179,17498157,188709,17498198,17236013,123178,
34275393,98427,34537592,98428,34537593,98419,34013301,98420,33751157,
98421,34275411,98445,34275405,

[psguru]

The results should be the same. Could you privately send me 2 sample files, for which directory and file comparison results differ?

[psguru]

The problem is that one of your files does not have linebreak at the end of file. The fix is in the latest build of 3.2c at http://www.prestosoft.com/ps.asp?page=edp_examdiffpro.

[petefc]

I am having the same problem and I am using 3.2c. I thave two files that are substantially changed. Examdiff is reporting then as being newer and older but not as changed. Other files that are exactly the same, are being reported as changed.

can i trust this tool?

[psguru]

Looks like you have 2 problems.

1. Files are different but show up as newer/older.

This is due to the way you have your options set up. Go to Options | Dir Comparison, and uncheck all options under "Do not perform full file comparison". This will force EDPro to perform file comparison based on file data instead of file metadata (time, size etc.)

2. Files that are exactly the same are reported as changed.

What exactly does EDPro report? Newer/older or identical? Are file really identical? Could they be identical by data but not by timestamp (if so, see above)?


BTW, the problem reported by the original poster was fixed in 3.2c.

[petefc]

Ok unchecking per # 1 worked,but from a usablity perspective it is not clear that having something checked under "Do not Perform Full File Comparison" actually dispables full file comparison.

Changing # 1 fixed # 2

thanks

[psguru]

How would you phrase it?

[petefc]

I would have a single check box with the legend of "perform full file comparison" having this checked would gray out the underlying options. Unchecking would allow the child checkboxes to be activated.

[psguru]

Good idea. Implemented in the latest 3.3 Beta build.

[comparaholic]

I am having this problem with version 3.3, which I downloaded today.
In "Dir Compare", I have "Perform full file comparison".
For the file "Compare", I do not have any "Ignore" options checked.
I also get different results by selecting "Auto text/binary" or "Treat text files as binary".
I have seen this before, but I assumed it was related to my settings, but now I don't think it is.
The files that I am seeing this problem on today are text files, but do not have a known file type extension.
If I repeatedly click on the Re-Compare button times, the results are not consistent.

[psguru]

Is the problem consistent? If so, could you send me your minimal directories (zipped), along with your options exported to a file, to the e-mail address that I just PM-ed to you?

[psguru]

Yes, it is a bug in 3.3. It only occurs if a file doesn't have last linebreak at its end, and if Ignore Linebreak Styles setting under Options | Compare is unchecked. The bug will be fixed in the next maintenance release. In the meantime, the workaround is to check the above setting.