PURPOSE Originally this program was designed by Ricardo (Rbytes) to compare two files line-by-line and note any differences for checking if supposedly identical files has been modified or may have been corrupted so you can restore it based on a previous version used to compare. Now it does that and more. With some standization and powerful options, you will be able to compare program or data lines with options such as ignoring: indents, blank/null lines, and extra/excess spaces. Also, some standardization has been instituted, more for future releases where knowing which is the new and older versions will be critical to the compare. So, for now: File1$ is now the newest version of the source code or data file File2$ is now an older version of the source code or data file ABOUT VERSION 3 Version 3 is a major release that not only fixes some issues found in the first release, it adds four processing switches, furthering the power and accuracy of the compare by allowing the user to set conditions that in the past would have either produced a false 'MATCH' or more commonly a false 'NO MATCH'. These processing switches makes this program close to rivaling those found on Mainframe systems and in the best PC or MAC applications (See post and change log for v3.0 for the change details on how the switches process the source or data). To Learn how to use the new features in Version 3, read: File Compare – Instructions.txt FUTURE OF FILE COMPARE: In versions 4 and 5, the File Compare will be brought up to ISO 9000/9001 industry standards, where the compare will work as those on the Mainframe (Fileaid, TSO/ISPF and IBM’s Compare Utility, etc), as you will see this App will work both stand-a-lone and within a suite of programs for Source Management. Output format will change, making it closer to a utility that not only compares true ADDS, CHANGES, DELETIONS from the new file (rather than just reporting MATCH and NO MATCH), it will bring it closer to a program that can be made into a Version Control System. After it is brought up to industry standards, the next step would be to add the code needed to create a rollback file, where you select the code deleted to add back, reverse changes, and to completely remove added code and add back in deleted code to restore the program to the prior copy or an even earlier version. The largest changes planned for Versions 4 and 5 will be more than a Line-by-Line compare. It will search for code that has been moved. Say you move a function or a group of code from near the top of the program to the bottom. Currently this compare will not pick it up, except for it being a 'NO MATCH'. These versions will report them as DELETED or MOVED in each file and will report where it was moved to in the new file, or REMOVED if deleted. Also in Version 4 and 5, the File Compare will resolve all LIB statements, so code that is brought in at runtime will also be compared as well. This would be similar to expanding COPYBOOKS in COBOL then comparing the complete source code. So if you move code into a LIB, the compare will find it and verify that it is the same or changed between the New and Old files. THE INTEGRATED SOLUTION - SOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The File Compare will be part of a program that until now only two people knew of its development – A full featured IDE Editor, called SB-EDITOR. Already under development, The File Compare will allow you to compare two files, and place the results in the Editor’s box, so if you want, you can remove or restore the code, even move it around. In design the File Compare will become a major part of a Version Control System, where the SB-EDITOR will keep track of every change, and a VSC based on the File Compare will allow you to see the changes, and give you the tools to rollback as many versions as you want, or select what you want rolled back. The last piece, which as of November 10, 2017, I have tested a proof of concept of an online near real-time debugging system that will be part of the SB-EDITOR program, which will actually be the program that controls what will be called the Source Management System. It will display (In a Logfile) every paragraph executed, every line executed, and every variable change, showing the before and after values. And it will try to catch common syntax mistakes, such as leaving out the THEN with the IF, or missing ENDIF, ENDDEF, Functions executed within a Function, and so on, rather than having you find out at runtime. More conditions will be added as they are encountered. The future Source Management System will be a large task, normally written by a team of programmers. Since I will be writing it myself, each component will be first released as a stand-a-lone version. You will be able to run VCS directly, even the debug system, which its design document is being written from a design I put together. However, much of what happens will depend on whether SmartBASIC will stay around. I am already working on a proposed solution to replace Dropbox, using the input from replies so far. Yet I know there are more programmers out there who I would like to hear from. The more ideas the better, and depending on the scope of the project, I am hoping that some will volunteer to help write the code or programs needed to make this work. So enjoy the new File Compare System, and I to have most of the new features done by March of 2018. But as I finish a major part, it will be released, so you will not have to wait that long. There is another text file that will explain how to use the supplied files to show you what each function does and doesn’t do. It will show you the expected results, so that when you run it on your own source or data file, you will know what to expect. (Data Files are treated differently from Source, and that document will show you what settings are needed to process Data Files successfully.