RJ TextEd

WinMerge is a great tool if you need to compare different versions of a file or just compare two documents. It should be added in the "Integrated tools" page in options though and not as an external tool.

Here is were you can find it: http://winmerge.org/

Add it in "Options -> Integrated tools -> Visual text comparison and merging".

I asked my work colleagues, who are also computer programmers using Windows, which tool they prefer for file and folder comparison and file merging. The two favorites were Beyond Compare and Araxis Merge, both of which cost money. The following links helped me find and compare tools:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison ... ison_tools
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-fr ... tility.htm

Araxis Merge was too expensive for me. I tried Beyond Compare and several freeware/open-source tools, including WinMerge. I really wanted to use a free tool, but I found Beyond Compare to be so much more intuitive, easy to use, full-featured and free from crashes. For example, file-by-file comparisons of two ZIP archives and customization support for new formats (much like RJ TextEd's syntax files). Since I compare files and folders several times a day in my work, I found Beyond Compare to be worth the investment. I have used it as the default external compare tool with both ClearCase and TortoiseSVN.

Thanks Rickard for the tip about integration. I followed the instructions in your post, and now Beyond Compare is working well integrated into RJ TextEd!

Araxis is a bit pricey, but if you do any significant amount of file/folder comparison, the cost is definitely worth it.

I've used WinMerge, BeyondCompare, Ultracompare, and a few others that I don't recall right off.

Araxis is just far easier to use, faster, and the comparisons seem more accurate.

I will admit though that for the price, BeyondCompare is pretty dang good. THe main thing I don't care for in BeyondCompare is that they pad missing lines, whereas Araxis and Ultracompare draw block connector lines between mismatches areas. It's hard to describe, but I find the connector lines more intuitive while showing more context on screen.

Looks like the integrated Visual diff function works nicely with araxis too. Just tested that out.

And finally, Winmerge, for a free app, is pretty good as well. Nowhere near as capable as any of the commercial apps, but, if you're onsite and don't have your utility disk with you, it's a quick, free download away.

I have switched to using KDiff3 because WinMerge is no longer in active support or development.

http://kdiff3.sourceforge.net/