WinMerge is an Open Source differencing and merging tool for Windows. It can compare both folders and files, presenting differences in a visual text format that is easy to understand and handle. WinMerge is highly useful for determining what has changed between project versions, and then merging changes between versions. It can be used as an external differencing/merging tool or as a standalone application. File compare window is basically two files opened to editor into two horizontal panes. Editing allows user to easily do small changes without need to open files to other editor or development environment. Many times it is useful to see exact differences inside lines. WinMerge can highlight different areas between lines.
In addition, WinMerge has many helpful supporting features that make comparing, synchronising, and merging as easy and useful as possible.
Every WinMerge compare operation has two targets: either two files or two folders. WinMerge makes it easy to select targets and launch comparisons from different places in your Windows environment.
It features visual differencing and merging of text files, a flexible editor with syntax highlighting, line numbers and word-wrap and handles DOS, UNIX and MAC text file formats. It also includes full support for archives with the bundled 7-Zip plugin. The WinMerge 2011 branch is a continuation of the older WinMerge release.
General: Supports Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/2012/10; Handles Windows, Unix and Mac text file formats; Unicode support; Tabbed interface. File Compare: Visual differencing and merging of text files; Flexible editor with syntax highlighting, line numbers and word-wrap; Highlights differences inside lines; Difference pane shows current difference in two vertical panes; Location pane shows map of files compared; Moved lines detection. Folder Compare: Regular Expression based file filters allow excluding and including items; Fast compare using file sizes and dates; Compares one folder or includes all subfolders; Can show folder compare results in a tree-style view. Version Control: Creates patch files (Normal-, Context- and Unified formats); Resolve conflict files; Rudimentary Visual SourceSafe and Rational ClearCase integration.
Other: Shell Integration (supports 64-bit Windows versions); Archive file support using 7-Zip; Plugin support; Localizable interface; Online manual and installed HTML Help manual.
WinMerge allows selecting/opening paths in several ways. Using the Open-dialog is just one of them. Folder compare shows all files and subfolders found from compared folders as list. Folder compare allows synchronising folders by copying and deleting files and subfolders. Folder compare view can be versatile customised. In the tree view, folders are expandable and collapsible, containing files and subfolders. This is useful for an easier navigation in deeply nested directory structures. The tree view is available only in recursive compares. Location pane is a handy side-pane showing a overall (difference) map of files compared.
The WinMerge 2011 series is a fork of the original WinMerge application published on SourceForge by Thingamahoochie Software. It is an escape from the complex situation that exists with respect to WinMerge 2.x. ATL/MFC dependencies have also been removed so as to enable zero-budget developers to build WinMerge from sources using Visual C++ Express editions.
You can change WinMerge Portable to the language of your choice by clicking the View menu and selecting Language. Select the language and click OK.
