Simple suggestion

[ssb]

I plan to switch to ExamDiff Pro from BC. Each applications has its own pros & cons. There is something i'll really miss in EDP, a file touching feature in folder comparison context menu.
I think it's quite easy to add this in a future release.

Thanks

[psguru]

Before we add your request to the wish list, let me first explain how this can be achieved now in EDP. Since EDP provides an easy access to the Shell context menu for each directory item (via Right-Click, then Explorer Menu, or via Shift + Right-Click to go directly to the Explorer Menu), you could use any Shell extension that provides Touch function. I, for instance, use free Ninotech Date Edit ( http://home.worldonline.dk/ninotech/freeutil.htm ), which has Now button. Agreed, this is 2 clicks more than if EDP had Touch command. On the other hand, we try not to bloat the application unless necessary. Please let me know your thoughts on the workaround.

BTW, it would be nice if you could share your reasons of switching (or planning to switch) from BeyondCompare to EDP.

Thanks.

[ssb]

Thanks for the file touch tip psguru,
still believe it would be much better if such a function was build into EDP, i don't think that a simple file touch would add more than 2-3 KB. Anyway i can live without it.

we try not to bloat the application unless necessary

This is the first reason i like EDP a little more than Beyond Compare
Besides that, BC doesn't display non-English characters in HEX view and that's something i need. Not only it doesn't support Unicode, but it cannot display foreign single-byte ANSI chars too. That's very annoying for me.
A third reason of switching is user interface. I find EDP UI more logical and consistent.
BC is very nice product but i found it more suitable for sync backup jobs instead comparison. EDP has in place text editing (very useful indeed) and a much better HEX viewer.

BTW why don't you add hex editing same way you did with text. Not something fancy, like dedicated editors but simple hex patching. It would be very helpful for people working with binaries (like me). You know, sometimes editing from inside EDP environment is much faster than calling UltraEdit or other external editor.

Thanks

[psguru]

Thank you for sharing this.

still believe it would be much better if such a function was build into EDP, i don't think that a simple file touch would add more than 2-3 KB

I'll go ahead and add your request to the wish list at http://prestosoft.com/ps.asp?page=edp_suggestions . We'll see what other users think about this feature.

BTW why don't you add hex editing same way you did with text.

There's already such request on the wish list. I'll add your vote.

[ssb]

Thank you

[zweistein]

EDP provides an easy access to the Shell context menu for each directory item

Well there you mention a problem... for really big comparisons, there are multiple directories and you cannot access the Explorer Menu for all at once, can you?

I don't really want 38. Add 'Touch' command to directory comparison view but could use it. What I want is copied files to be timestamped with the current time, just like if you had merged all the changes in the source file into the target file. In other words, not copy the timestamp from the source. Or in yet other words run the unix cp command without -p flag. Right now, I either:

• for each different file, go into file comparison, copy all differences to the target file and save it;
• sort the directory comparison such that the file pair stays in place after copying it, and quickly edit and save the target file after copying it;
• sort the directory comparison by relative path, and per directory, copy selected files and touch them using the Explorer Menu.

Any other way?

[psguru]

I don't really want 38. Add 'Touch' command to directory comparison view but could use it. What I want is copied files to be timestamped with the current time, just like if you had merged all the changes in the source file into the target file. In other words, not copy the timestamp from the source. Or in yet other words run the unix cp command without -p flag.

While adding an option to the 'Copy' command is doable, I prefer to have a separate 'Touch' command. Otherwise, the 'Copy' command will require a dialog with options, and that would make most users (who don't care about 'Copy' options) to make one extra click. Having a separate option in EDP options pages is also not so good such option will be used for all 'Copy' operations.

Any other way?

Not really. I personally prefer the third option on your list.

[zweistein]

that would make most users (who don't care about 'Copy' options) to make one extra click.

That sounds annoying indeed. Unfortunately there already is an extra dialog for every file copy, if the target already exists. Given the 'Subdirectory for backup' option (kudos!), this overwrite confirmation is overkill.

a separate option in EDP options pages is also not so good such option will be used for all 'Copy' operations

Doesn't that apply to all options - sometimes you wish EDP would have read your mind and ignored an option.

But I don't want to insist. It's normal and reasonable on Windows to copy timestamps. In fact what I really want in the end is to apply whatever tool to a bunch of files in the directory view, not just touch. This is where Total Commander has an edge: in Branch View, it can apply the Explorer menu to multiple directories.

I thought of more ways to copy-and-touch (or in general, post-process):

• Copy to Third Directory all the files, then touch all files there, then move them on to the target directory.
• But that has the disadvantage you don't see during merging which files you've copied already. To fix that, merge in two stages:
  1. Make a copy of the target directory, merge the source directory into the copy.
  2. Touch all files in the copy, compare with the real target, copy all different files on to the target (considering files with different timestamps equal of course). The comparison might take long on really large directories, but I guess that's a good moment to figure out how the CRC's work.

(5 minutes later) Now I realize there is a truely simple way:

• Unset the archive attribute on the target directory, merge source to target, touch all files with archive attribute.

Well selecting all files with the archive attribute isn't always easy, but at least I can confirm that EDP sets the archive attribute of files copied, even if the source file has the bit cleared.

[psguru]

Unfortunately there already is an dialog for every file copy, if the target already exists. Given the 'Subdirectory for backup' option (kudos!), this overwrite confirmation is overkill.

The message comes from SHFileOperation Shell API. Sure, it can be run with FOF_NOCONFIRMATION flag but that would be a little too bold. Anyway, it looks familiar to all who copied files in Windows, so no one complained so far.

But I don't want to insist. It's normal and reasonable on Windows to copy timestamps. In fact what I really want in the end is to apply whatever tool to a bunch of files in the directory view, not just touch. This is where Total Commander has an edge: in Branch View, it can apply the Explorer menu to multiple directories.

If Total Commander can do it in a view where files from different directories are present, it sure has the edge. We looked into this on a few occasions, and the problem is technically very difficult, especially if you want to support different Shell versions beginning from Windows 95. To be fair, Total Commander is a Shell replacement, and as such it probably should beat EDP in related functionality.

I thought of more ways to copy-and-touch (or in general, post-process)

There's actually another way. Change your directory comparison from 'Recursive' to 'None', then use 'Explorer Menu'->[Your Touch Command] on multiple directories with recursive option. For example, 'Edit Date' Shell extension allows to change directory time with all its files by using 'Recurse items' option.