Ellié Computing Merge proposes two modes for
folder comparison: simple comparison and merge. The comparison
mode is made to get maximum place to see differences when you
are not concerned with modifying the files or when you prefer
to reconcile the differences by hand. Merge mode is tailored to
give you a presentation of the difference oriented toward
problems or "conflicts".
Depending on your needs several scenarios will apply.
Here is the global approach:
decide which folders should be updated, you can decide
that at start or any time before you write your job to the
folders.
go to the Document options and decide which rules apply
for the whole tree, use the "2-way rules" or "3-way rules"
panel to set default resolution rules
if you decide that some situations should not get a
single rule, let those situations unresolved and move in the
directories tree with the navigation buttons to get to the
conflict, you can then decide what to do using the file
differentiation or merge views. Use the right-click menu to
launch differentiation process, you can launch the process
for a full sub-tree, only the files that are different will
show to reduce the memory used
you can use all the resolve buttons to assign particular
actions to individual items (or to whole sub-trees)
once you're OK with some items, you can use right-click
"Write result" for these particular items or use the main
"Write all results" button
Now here are some cases:
Mirroring a folder to one or several
targets: there are two approaches:
open the wanted folders, select the Mirror options in
Document options/rules panel, select the output folders
and write. The items that are identical will not be
rewritten to optimize time
select the files and folders in one panel and drag
them to the target panel, the
Generic
Copy dialog box appears, you'll be able to select
various options and then simulate or run the copy.
Mixing the job of two developpers:
preferrably, use the 3-way mode since start: the first
time that you share your work, produce two folders, the one
in which the developper will work and a reference folder.
Then each time that you merge update the reference and your
folder (and as well his folder if possible), so that the
latest common point is remembered, lowering the amount of
manual merge
if you cannot setup a reference folder, use 2-way mode
and merge by hand the development files
in both cases, you will generally use the "Resolve by
merging" button or menu item to get the proper result
for the files that cannot be compared internally, you
can launch an external viewer to see the difference and
then choose the right version to keep using the "Keep this
version" right-click menu option or the "Keep
left/right/ancestor" menu options and buttons
Cleaning redundant directories:
use the 2-way mode, choose only of them as output, use
the Document options/2-way rules panel and choose "Remove"
for the identical items, let the other unresolved, then
write the results
Making a filtered copy:
use the 2-way mode, go to the Document options/Filename
filters: select what you want to keep and exclude
for example, with right side as output, you can decide
to clean the target directory using the Remove action for
"File present only at right side", while copying new files
there
Buttons and menus
Their actions apply to the selection. You can use the
"Select All" menu (Ctrl+A) to make them apply to the whole
directories tree.
Flying toolbar Any time your mouse hovers a conflict, the flying
toolbar shows. It gives access to the most frequently
used actions.
Resolve the item using the oldest file, applies to
items that are different (other will not get
affected)
Resolve the item using the most recent file,
applies to items that are different (other will not get
affected)
Resolve by keeping the orphan item
Resolve by removing orphan item
Resolve the item respectively with left, middle
(ie. ancestor) or right versions
The Resolve with ancestor button is available
only in 3-way mode
These buttons applies to all situations, if the
matching is deleted, a removal operation will occur
in the output folders if necessary
Unresolves the item
Presents all the classes and what to do for them,
if you let some of them to 'Let unresolved' items of
those classes will not be touched by the action
Merges the present version together, opening a view
to let you finish the job. If you launch several
merges, from which some did not have conflicts, those
merges will remain in background and views won't be
created for them
Writes all the defined results to the disk, items
for which a defined rule or a default rule gave a
result are written. They are also marked as written
, such items
are not written again unless the marker is removed or
appears as
(written
partially: it happens when newly selecting folders as
result folders). Merged items (2-way or 3-way) are
never written again and never get the 'written
partially' marker, because a merge operation is not a
stable operation (i.e. redoing the same operation will
not necessarily lead to the same result).
This button shows the
Write
Merge Results dialog box which allows you to
simulate and/or run the actual merge.
Refreshes only portions of the tree that changed
since last comparison, hence, most of the time, the
view will not even blink. If some items changed out of
the control of the application,
they are compared again.
Files comparisons launched from folders
comparison
When using the "Resolve by merge" button
,
situations with conflicts will open file merge views (a view is
systematically open if a single line is selected). You will use
this view to first solve the conflict and then save the result
to the folder. For that purpose, you will use the "Save and
solve" button
.
Pressing this button will validate and write immediately the
results, it will also show the written marker for this
item
. The matching
folder item will get the 'merged' status and will indicate
"Nothing to do" in the "Remain actions" column.
When you launch several merge actions at the same time
(with a selection of multiple items or by selecting a folder),
many views may open, you can break the process at a time by
pressing 'Cancel' in the progression box that will appear. The
files for which the merge process could find a reasonable
solution are marked with "Auto-merge success", the synthetic
result of the merge is kept in memory and nothing is written
yet.
, such items
are not written again unless the marker is removed or
appears as
(written
partially: it happens when newly selecting folders as
result folders). Merged items (2-way or 3-way) are
never written again and never get the 'written
partially' marker, because a merge operation is not a
stable operation (i.e. redoing the same operation will
not necessarily lead to the same result).
.
Pressing this button will validate and write immediately the
results, it will also show the written marker for this
item