Flat File Comparison

[SBuddS]

As part of our CM process we are trying to compare old flat files (which have been extensively validated) against new flat files (to which desired changes have been added). The comparison will help identify any inadvertent changes. To date we have been using a UNIX script using 'diff' but the output is unsatisfactory in that many of the differences identified are simply caused by and offset in the layout of the files. We've tried make the script make the comparison based on key parameters within the file but haven't found a robust way yet.

Does anyone know of a such a tool that may help ?

 

[esv]

the manual page for GNU diff, says ...

-i --ignore-case Consider upper- and lower-case to be the same.
-w --ignore-all-space Ignore all white space.
-b --ignore-space-change Ignore changes in the amount of white space.

check, for more info ....

http://www-md.fsl.noaa.gov/adr/localdev/diff.html

regards,
esv

 

[SBuddS]

Thanks. Subsequent to posting the request for help I found a freeware application called ExamDiff which has a nice GUI that allows side by side comparison and identifies changes in colour. It generally manages to sync up on keywords rather thereby idetify real changes and not simply because the lines are offset. It will also output the unix diff file.