File Comparison Tool

Context:
- It can (often) provide results in multiple formats, such as inline text changes, side-by-side comparisons, or summary reports.
- It can (often) support various file types, including plain text, rich text, binary files, and sometimes even specific formats like source code or XML.
- It can range from being a Commmand-Line File Comparison Tool to being a GUI-based File Comparison Tool.
- ...
Example(s):
- diff, a command-line utility commonly found in Unix and Unix-like systems.
- WinMerge, a graphical file comparison tool for Windows.
- Beyond Compare, a specialized tool for comparing files and folders.
- FileMerge (part of Apple Developer Tools), used for comparing and merging file differences on MacOS.
- cmp, a Unix command-line tool that shows the byte-level differences between files.
- ...
Counter-Example(s):
- A Text Editor that does not offer comparison features.
- A Database Management System used for storing and retrieving data without direct file comparison capabilities.
See: Source Code, Word Processor, Computing, Text File, Unix, Diff Utility, Graphical User Interface, Computer Network, File System, Revision Control, Diff, Cmp (Unix).

References

(Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_comparison Retrieved:2024-1-24.
- In computing, file comparison is the calculation and display of the differences and similarities between data objects, typically text files such as source code. The methods, implementations, and results are typically called a diff, after the Unix diff utility. The output may be presented in a graphical user interface or used as part of larger tasks in networks, file systems, or revision control. Some widely used file comparison programs are diff, cmp, FileMerge, WinMerge, Beyond Compare, and File Compare. Many text editors and word processors perform file comparison to highlight the changes to a file or document.