6. Diff, Merge, and Change Palette : Invoking the Diff Tool (or Another File-Comparison Tool)

Invoking the Diff Tool (or Another File-Comparison Tool)
No matter which tool you've configured to perform file comparisons, you invoke the tool in the same way, as described below. AccuRev's Diff tool opens in a separate tab within the AccuRev GUI window; any other tool opens in its own window.
There are multiple ways to specify the two versions of a file element to be compared:
In a File Browser, each file's context menu includes a Diff Against... item. There are several choices, each of which compares your version (i.e. the file in your workspace) with a version stored in the depot:
Most Recent Version: Compares your file with the version currently in your workspace stream. Use this choice if you've modified the file since the last time you performed a Keep on it (or if you've never performed a Keep on it since the last update).
Backed Version: Compares your file with the version currently in the backing stream. For example, you might use this choice to see all the changes you've made to this file since you updated your workspace and starting working on the file. (And assuming no one else has promoted a new version to the backing stream in the meantime.) This might include the changes stored in several intermediate versions that you've created with keep.
Basis Version: Compares your file with the version that you started working with, before making your "recent" changes. For a discussion of the meaning of "recent", see Patches and Change Packages on page 172.
File on Disk: Compares your file with an arbitrary file on your machine. A standard operating system "open file" dialog box open, in which you specify the file.
In a Stream Browser display, view the elements in a stream's default group by clicking the control below the stream. An element's context menu includes the Diff Against... items described above.
In a Version Browser or Stream Version Browser display for a text-file element, you can compare any two versions: right-click any version, select Diff Against Other Version from the context menu, then left-click any other version.
In a History Browser display for a text-file element, you can compare the versions created in any two transactions. Right-click a transaction in the Summary (upper) pane, select Diff Against Other Version from the context menu, then left-click another transaction in the Summary pane. Similarly, the Diff Against File in the Workspace command enables you to compare the version created in a particular transaction with the file currently in your workspace. (That file might contain changes that you haven't yet preserved with Keep.)

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