Comparison of 2 word documents online. Comparing files in Linux. Comparing two blocks of text in an internet browser

To update the parent. The problem was that I was making edits to the parent theme's style.css file. And, of course, I don’t remember what exactly I changed there (and I don’t need to remember it).

But then the moment came when a new version themes for WordPress. Of course, I wanted to see what was new there. But, before updating it, we first needed to save the changes made to the styles. Therefore, I had to remember the name of the program that compares files.

WinMerge

Previously, I used the desktop program WinMerge (winmerge.org). It was a big help when you needed to compare two files. This is what its interface looks like. Sophisticated, cool, programmer.

But there is something simpler.

Quick Diff

But I was too lazy to search for WinMerge on my computer, so I decided to use the wonderful online service “Quick Diff”. He helped us carry out very quickly comparative analysis two fragments of text and find all the differences.

Advantages of the online service

1. Simple and intuitive interface.
2. Comparison of files occurs in a matter of seconds.
3. No pre-registration.
4. There is no need to download or install anything.
5. Absolutely free.

How to compare two text fragments

To compare, just copy the desired fragments into the corresponding Left and Right fields (no difference) and click the button

The result will be below, under the Output heading.

Explanations

What is not in the updated file is highlighted in red, and changes made to the original file are highlighted in green.

But in in this example, the only difference is that the modified fragment contains spaces at the beginning of the line. That's why it's highlighted in green. Perhaps this code was cut out, but then when I pasted it back, it turned out with an offset and extra spaces appeared.

In general, be careful and see which changes are significant and meaningful to you. Here I showed an example of using the service to compare two style files. But you can use this service to compare what edits the proofreader made to the text, yes, you never know what it will be useful for.

Need to compare two Microsoft file Excel? Here are two simple ways do it.

There are many reasons why you might need to take one Excel document and compare it with another. This can be a time consuming task.

it requires a lot of concentration, but there are ways to make your life easier.

Do you need to take a closer look manually or do you want Excel to do some of the heavy lifting

on your behalf, here are two easy ways to compare multiple sheets.

How to Compare Excel Files

Excel allows users to display two versions of a document at once to quickly identify the differences between them:

1. First, open the workbooks you want to compare.
2. Switch to View > Window > Side View.

Comparing Excel files by eye

To begin, open Excel and any workbooks you want to compare. We can use the same technique to compare sheets in the same document

or completely different files.

If more than one sheet is obtained from the same book, it must be separated in advance. To do this, go to View > Window > New Window.

This won't separate the individual sheets permanently, just open a new instance of your document.

This menu will list all the tables that are in this moment open. If you only have two open, they will be selected automatically.

Make your selection and click Fine. You will see both tables appear on the screen.

If it's more convenient, you can use Arrange everything button to switch between vertical and horizontal configuration.

One important option to be aware of is Synchronized scrolling switching

Enabling this option ensures that when you scroll one window, the other will move in sync. This is important if you are working with a large table

and you want to keep testing one against the other. If for any reason the two sheets are not aligned, simply click Reset window position.

Comparing Excel Files Using Conditional Formatting

In many cases The best way comparing two spreadsheets may be as simple as displaying them on the screen at the same time. However, it is possible to somewhat automate the process.

Using Conditional Formatting

We can check Excel for any discrepancies between the two sheets. This can save a lot of time if all you need to find are the differences between one version and another.

For this method, we need to make sure that the two sheets we are working with are part of the same workbook. To do this, click right click mouse over the name of the sheet you want to transfer and select Move or copy.

Here you can use the drop-down menu to decide which document it will be pasted into.

Select all the cells that are filled in the worksheet where you want any differences to be highlighted. Fast way to do this is to click the cell in the top left corner and then use the shortcut

Ctrl + Shift + End.

Switch to Home> Styles> Conditional Formatting> New Rule.

Choose Use a formula to determine which cells to format and enter the following:

A1sheet_name!A1

Just remember to post "sheet_name" for any other sheet name. This formula only checks when a cell on one sheet does not exactly match the corresponding cell on another sheet, and flags each instance.

Above you can see the results. All cells containing changes have been highlighted in red, allowing you to quickly and easily compare the two sheets.

Let Excel do the hard work

The above technique demonstrates one way you can let Excel handle some of the heavy lifting. Even if you pay close attention, there is a chance that you might miss a change if you perform this task manually. With conditional formatting, you can be sure nothing slips through the web.

Excel is good at monotonous and detail-oriented work. Once you've mastered its capabilities, you can save yourself some time and effort by using techniques like conditional formatting and a little creativity.

Do you have any advice for comparing documents in Excel? Or do you need help with the processes described in this guide? Either way, why not join the conversation in the comments section below?

Everyone knows that Word is a multifunctional text editor. Its many possibilities go far beyond the scope of this article. This article will tell you how to compare the two Word file in the program itself. This procedure is quite simple, but few people even know about it. It can be useful in different cases, for example, when there are two files on the computer: your work and its draft. In order not to make a mistake and not send a draft to the customer, it is best to use a comparison of two files.

Step 1: preparatory stage

It is noteworthy that after you compare two files, they will remain unchanged, and any discrepancies will be shown in another (new) document that will open automatically. But first things first. First, let's figure out what you need to do first before comparing two Word files.

The first thing you need to do is prepare. Before you can compare two Word files, you need to open them. So find them on your computer and double-click on them.

Now we need to open the tool we need in one of the files. It is located in the "Review" tab in the "Comparison" tool group. The tool is called “Compare”, so click on it and select the item of the same name from the drop-down menu.

So, you are there, now you can proceed directly to how to compare two Word files for differences or matches.

Step 2: selecting documents to compare

A window called “Compare Versions” is now open in front of you. As you can see, there are two areas in it: "Original Document" and "Changed Document". Accordingly, you should place the original document in the first, and its corrected version in the second.

To select a document, you need to click on the folder icon next to After clicking, an explorer will open in which you need to navigate to the file you are looking for. Once this is done, repeat the steps for the second file.

Now we have selected the necessary documents for comparison, but do not rush to click the “OK” button to begin the analysis process. In order to get the desired result, it would be better to set required parameters. Let's talk about how to do this now.

Step 3: set the necessary parameters for comparison

So, before comparing two Word files, it would be wiser to set the parameters on which the analysis will be based. This will reveal the inconsistencies you want to find.

To open the options menu, you need to click on the "More" button, all in the same "Compare versions" window.

In the menu that expands, you can see a bunch of settings. Now let's turn our attention to the "Comparison Options" group. In it you need to select those elements that will be compared in two documents. By the way, the fewer checkboxes are checked, the faster the comparison process will go. Therefore, if you are looking for formatting changes, it would be wise to highlight only this item while leaving out the others.

In the "Show changes" group, choose what exactly to look for them in: characters or words. Also, do not forget to indicate in which document to show the result. In the source, modified file or new.

After you have set all the parameters you need, you can safely click the “OK” button to begin the analysis process. It does not last very long, even if all comparison points have been selected.

Step 4: Check the result

In the end they will show you the result. Depending on your choice, it will be demonstrated in one of two documents or in a new, third one.

Locations that do not match will be marked with a red line. Which is very convenient - by clicking on the line, you will be shown the difference. It will be crossed out with a red line.

By the way, if you didn’t know how to compare two Word files for matches, then, unfortunately, you won’t be able to do this in the program. However, special services can be used for this purpose.

Often, when working, you have to compare various modifications of documents, for example, the original and modified editions of materials prepared in Word or in the form of PDF documents or presentations, working and updated versions of price lists with changed prices in Excel, different versions of text documents, etc. .P. In this case, the question is not which version of the files is more recent (this is already clear from the properties of the files), but what is important is what exactly has changed in the documents in terms of content. Comparing documents manually is a thankless task because it takes too much time and the possibility of errors, because it’s easy not to notice some important detail when viewing. It is much more reasonable to delegate the task of comparing files to a computer. In general, in terms of comparing Word documents, everything is going quite well even without the use of auxiliary tools, although in versions Word 2002 and Word 2003 this opportunity it is reliably hidden from prying eyes, and probably not many users are even aware of its existence. The fact is that to compare documents here you must first download the source file. Then, from the Tools menu, open the Compare and Merge Corrections command, specify the file to compare with the original, and enable the Black Lines checkbox. Only after these manipulations will the “Merge” button turn into the “Compare” button, and when you click on this button, the program will compare the files.

The results of the comparison will be shown in the newly created document in traditional review mode. With the advent of Word 2007, everything has become much easier, since now you just need to switch to the "Review" tab, click on the "Compare" button and specify the versions of the document you are comparing. The result of the comparison will be presented in a new document, where the reviewed document will be displayed on the left, taking into account the changes, and on the right (one above the other) the original and changed documents. Theoretically, in Excel it is also possible to compare documents using built-in tools, however, only when working in the mode of recording changes. However, this is inconvenient, since each of the changed cells will have to be viewed by hovering the mouse over it, since changes made to the document are displayed in pop-up windows (about the same as regular notes).

Secondly, if the named mode is not first enabled (command "Tools" > "Corrections" > "Select corrections", checkbox "Track corrections"), then it will be impossible to compare XLS files.

As for quickly comparing PDF documents, this feature, of course, is available in Acrobat 9 Pro and Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, but these solutions are not installed on every computer. Therefore, if you need to quickly compare Excel tables, PDF documents, presentations, as well as documents in other formats, in particular, text files and program codes, you have to resort to using additional tools. There are many options here, and these can be either complex solutions that allow you to work with several file formats, or highly specialized utilities. A considerable part of such solutions are offered for decent money - for example, the price of one of the most famous complex solutions in this area, Diff Doc, is $99.95, and the Araxis Merge utility, which is very popular among programmers, is priced at €119. At the same time, there are also quite affordable or generally available on the market. free programs of a similar plan, it is precisely such solutions that we will evaluate in this article. At the same time, we will focus on complex solutions, and among highly specialized tools we will note only utilities for quick comparison Excel tables, since this is one of the most pressing tasks, and comparing Excel documents with complex solutions, although possible, is less effective than using highly specialized utilities.

⇡ Comprehensive solutions for quick comparison of documents

Compare Suite 7.0

After selecting the comparison method, in the “File” menu you need to select the “New file comparison” command and indicate the files to compare in the left and right panels. The program will analyze the files and highlight all existing differences (added, changed and deleted fragments) in different colors. Additionally, you can create a comparison report with detailed information about the files being compared (command "File" > "Report"). When comparing files other than text, you should keep in mind that their comparison in all complex solutions (both in Compare Suite and in other utilities) is carried out after conversion to text format. In practice, this means, for example, that if in the compared versions of a Word document the same word in a particular sentence appears on different lines, then it will be included in the list of changes. When comparing XLS documents, data from tables is extracted before analysis, and the differences found are displayed line by line in text format, indicating the sheet name and column names, which allows you to navigate the data. The same scheme is used to compare PDF documents and PowerPoint presentations.

Compare It! 4.1.2174

Developer: Grig Software
Distribution size: 1.79 MB
Spreading: shareware Compare It! - a convenient tool for quickly comparing files of various formats, including text files, MS Word and MS Excel documents, RTF documents, files in PDF formats etc. It is possible to compare files in binary mode, files located in ZIP archives, and compare folders. When comparing program listings in C++, Java, C#, Delphi, HTML, syntax highlighting is provided. The demo version of the program (available in Russian localization) is operational for 30 days and is fully functional. The cost of the commercial version is $29. It is offered on the website grigsoft.ru and in the Softkey.ru store outdated version of this utility (3.86) for 300 rubles. (home license) or 400 rub. (commercial license). This version supports a smaller list of file formats (in particular, it cannot be used to compare DOCX, XLSX documents) and it may have problems with comparing a number of XLS files. By default, Compare It! launches with an English interface. To switch to the Russian interface, select the menu "Options" > "Options", on the "Language" tab, set the "Russian" option and restart the program. File comparison options are set in the Preferences dialog box (Settings > Preferences) on the Compare tab. Here you can set the program to ignore spaces, special escape characters, line breaks, etc. when comparing, and also enable/disable the so-called Alternative Comparison, designed to make modified strings easier to read and useful for comparing source code.

To compare files in Compare It! You need to select the “Compare files” command in the “File” menu and specify the documents being compared one after another (you can do it right away if the files are in the same folder). After this, the utility will load the files into the left and right panels and immediately highlight the identified differences in them. Differences in text fragments in the compared documents are highlighted in color, and fragments missing from one of the files are conventionally displayed as a shaded area. Information about differences can be saved as a report (File menu > Report). Comparison of non-text documents is usually implemented, that is, after conversion to text format. Note that when comparing Excel documents, columns are even maintained, which we really liked and was not noted in other similar solutions. But the results of comparing Word and PDF documents were not very inspiring. The fact is that in this utility the principle of displaying differences is somewhat different - fragments with changes are highlighted completely. If when comparing program code and Excel tables this did not seem inconvenient to us, then when comparing documents with paragraphs it did not cause delight. And for the simple reason that in the end too much text ends up being highlighted, and your eyes just get tired. But, alas, this particular principle of selection seems to be considered the norm by developers, since in other utilities discussed below, we encountered a similar situation.

Beyond Compare 3.1.9

In principle, through the “Data Compare” module in the utility, it is possible to compare tables, but only if two conditions are met. Firstly, we are talking about comparing completely identical documents in which individual values ​​(say, prices) have simply been changed, and not about tables in which columns or rows have been added or deleted. Second, the tables must be in data files (say, CSV), meaning that you will first have to save them in CSV format before comparing Excel tables. Of course, this is not a very convenient option, and the results are given somewhat specifically - with row offsets, but it still works. Switching between the "Text Compare", "Data Compare" and other modules is done through the "Session" > "New Session" menu. If you do not do this, but simply open new files for comparison, then the utility will compare them using the templates of the previously activated module. If the listed options for comparing documents are not enough, then you should turn to plugins, thanks to which the utility will learn to compare documents of other formats. After downloading, the plugins need to be connected using the "Tools" > "Import Settings" command and specifying the appropriate plugin on your hard drive. Having carried out a similar operation, we tried to compare Word and Excel documents using the "Text Compare" module - the results turned out to be quite decent, although the Beyond Compare developers are overly keen on completely selecting fragments with the presence of changes.

WinMerge 2.12.4

Developer: Thingamahoochie Software
Distribution size: 3.06 MB
Spreading: free WinMerge is a simple utility for visual comparison of text documents (Windows, Unix and Mac), distributed under the GNU/GPL license. When comparing program codes, syntax highlighting is provided for a number of programming languages, including C++, C#, Delphi, Visual Basic and XML/HTML. It is possible to compare folders. The functionality of the utility can be expanded by connecting plugins. For example, the xdocdiff plugin will allow you to use the utility to compare Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, PDF files, as well as a number of others. The program (available in Russian language localization) can be downloaded and used completely free of charge. To compare text documents in WinMerge, just use the “File” > “Open” command and specify the files being compared in the “Left” and “Right” fields. After this, the utility will produce a result in which in each of the compared documents all different lines will be highlighted. The program can also show in more detail the differences within the line specified to it (in a special area at the bottom of the main window), for which you just need to double-click on the line of interest. Plugins (there are only two of them on the developer’s website so far) are not included in the package, and therefore are downloaded and installed (with subsequent copying of the files and folders specified in the instructions to the utility folder) separately. Their use is not entirely obvious. For example, in order to make it possible to compare documents using the xdocdiff plugin, you need to additionally specify its unpacker in the file opening window.

After this, WinMerge begins to compare Word documents no worse than commercial solutions. We were also impressed by the results of comparing Excel tables, which were also at the level of commercial analogues. As for PDF files, the experiment with our test files failed. And this is not surprising - the fact is that converting such documents into a text format is quite difficult to implement in practice, due to the specific structure of the PDF format. As a result, the presence of declared support for a given format in a particular utility does not yet indicate a 100% comparison of any PDF files in it without exception. This is exactly what happened in the WinMerge program, to which we (as well as our competitors) initially fed PDF files that were not generated in Adobe Acrobat, and in the Document2PDF Pilot utility that is at hand. It was only after we took the time to install Adobe Acrobat Pro and create test files in it that WinMerge demonstrated its ability to compare PDF documents.

Active File Compare 2.0

File comparison results are displayed with special icons to the left of the text. There are two such icons - a “red triangle” signals the presence of differences in the corresponding line, and a “cross on a yellow background” indicates an empty line.

⇡ Tools for quickly comparing Excel tables

Compare Spreadsheets for Excel 1.1.5

Then you need to decide what to focus on (looking for deleted, added or changed rows or columns) and choose a comparison method. The simple cell overlay method searches only for changed cells, while the alignment method searches not only for changed cells, but also for deleted and added cells.

After this, you need to specify which columns or rows of the left range of cells should be compared with the rows or columns of the right range of cells, and configure the comparison parameters - by formulas or values, whether to take into account case and/or cell format. If desired, at the last stage you can adjust the report parameters, that is appearance highlighting of added, deleted and changed cells. The result of the comparison opens in a separate window, with added cells highlighted in green by default, deleted ones in blue, and changed ones outlined in a red frame, which in practice turns out to be very easy to read.

Excel Compare 2.3

Upon completion of the analysis, a A new book with a difference report, in which unique data in the first and second compared ranges (or sheets as a whole) will be marked in green and blue. Theoretically, the data obtained during comparison (deleted, added and changed) can be divided into three separate sheets, but for this, the corresponding checkbox must be enabled in the comparison settings window.

Xc Excel Compare Tools 1.0

Developer: xcexcelcompare
Distribution size: 39.7 kb
Spreading: free xc Excel Compare Tools is a macro designed to quickly compare specified working Excel documents - sheets or workbooks; in this case, not only values, but also formulas can be compared. This macro (there is no Russian localization) can be downloaded and used completely free of charge. Before running a workbook with a macro, you need to change the macro security level to "medium" by selecting the corresponding checkbox in the "Security" window, called by the command "Tools" > "Macro" > "Security". After launching a workbook with a macro in Excel, an additional xcCompare Tools toolbar will appear.

This macro is quite convenient for comparing completely identical documents (price lists), in which individual values, say, prices, have simply been changed. To carry out such a comparison, you need to click on the “Compare” button and specify the source books in the window that opens. In the case of comparing books, you can immediately click on the “Compare Book” button, and when comparing sheets, you must additionally highlight the sheets and click on the “Compare Sheet” button. If necessary, in the same settings window you can adjust what needs to be compared - values ​​or formulas.

The generated difference report is created in a separate Excel workbook, in which cells with differing data are displayed, indicating the row and column numbers of these cells and the values ​​in them.

At the same time, different cells in the compared documents are highlighted, which allows you to instantly find your bearings.

But comparing Excel documents in which columns or rows have been added/deleted is not very convenient here. The fact is that xc Excel Compare Tools “does not understand” these kinds of differences and simply records the different values ​​in the report.

Spreadsheet Compare 1.15

Then you need to configure the comparison areas and define the parameters of the report to be created and click on the "Compare" button. At the end of the analysis, which takes longer than in the other solutions considered, all the different cells in the original table will be marked with color. In addition, a resulting table with the corrected values ​​will be created in the new workbook. And the generated differences report will indicate the numbers and values ​​of the differing cells.

As practice has shown, this plugin can be used to analyze identical tables with values ​​that have changed in some cells. But comparing tables with added and/or deleted columns/rows will be ineffective, since the plugin “does not understand” such operations and simply conscientiously records different values.

⇡ Conclusion

We tried to consider the most affordable or even free solutions for quickly comparing documents. At the same time, we limited ourselves to only the very minimum information about each of them and are well aware that the description, for example, of tools such as Compare Suite or Beyond Compare turned out to be somewhat modest. But we did not set out to describe all the capabilities of the programs under consideration, but limited ourselves only to the functions that are of interest in the context of this article, that is, a quick comparison of documents. In conclusion, I would like to note that, in our opinion, it is still more convenient to compare Word documents using the editor itself, since in utilities that provide comparison of this kind of files, the latter are first converted into text format with all the ensuing consequences. That is, completely identical words that appear on adjacent lines in the compared documents are identified as different, which complicates working with documents. In relation to all other formats considered, without specialized programs there is no way to quickly compare documents. If you have to deal with different formats at work, you need to focus on programs such as Compare Suite, Compare It!, Beyond Compare or WinMerge (see Table 1). And if you only need to compare Excel tables, then it is better to use one of the utilities specifically designed to work with such data (see Table 2), since the effectiveness of comparing tables in them is not comparable to comparing tables using complex solutions. Regarding whether it is worth purchasing paid program or limit yourself to free or simply cheaper, but theoretically having similar (within the framework of document comparison) functionality, then everything is not entirely obvious. Take, for example, the Compare Suite and WinMerge solutions. Both utilities have a Russian-language interface and can compare text files, program listings (with syntax highlighting in a variety of languages), Word and Excel documents, PowerPoint presentations and files in PDF formats. Only the first one is offered for $60, and the second one is free. It is clear that the majority will immediately choose WinMerge, but this will not be the right decision for everyone. Why? The fact is that by installing Compare Suite, you can immediately begin solving the main task, that is, comparing documents. At the same time, having chosen WinMerge, you will first have to deal with the configuration nuances color scheme, because by default they are extremely unsuccessful and do not allow you to instantly capture with your gaze the fragments that differ in the compared documents. And then you will also have to worry about the problem of downloading and configuring plugins, without which the utility’s capabilities will be limited only to comparing text documents. Well, in addition, do not forget that Compare Suite has three methods for comparing files and a more convenient principle for recording differences, which makes the comparison process more efficient. So you have to pay for the pleasure of working immediately and comfortably.

Table 1. Utility functionality for quick document comparison

table 2. Utility functionality for quickly comparing Excel tables

Good afternoon dear friends! As a result of creating a text file, we have to subject it to multiple changes. And it is noteworthy that some non-final version of the document can be agreed upon Z for those interested L face 1. As a result, the final text file, which is agreed upon by another ZL 2, may differ significantly from the previously agreed upon version ZL 1 . And such situations can be repeated every day. A Z L maybe 10. Let's study a tool that will protect us and partially automate the process of comparing two documents.

How to compare two documents simultaneously in Word?

Continuing the training course Microsoft Word I'll tell you how to compare two text documents for differences at the same time. Knowledge of this function of the MC Word editor will help you make sure that the concept of the text has not changed, or vice versa, find out what and where exactly has changed. Each character (letter, punctuation mark, even space) will be highlighted during the comparison procedure directly in the document. So let's go...

Let's take as an example the most complex tongue twister that I have come across, and chaotically change the words in different parts of our document, so that I can show how to compare two text file. I will name one of the documents (the original one) “1”, and the other “2”.

How to compare two Word documents and highlight changes?

1. First, let's open Microsoft program Word
2. Go to the tab "Review", In chapter "Comparison" press "Compare"

1. A drop-down window appears in front of you "Comparison of versions" into which now you need to upload two types of documents: original and modified.

1. After choosing two versions text document, click "OK"

1. The comparison results will open in a new window, and it will look something like this:

All deleted and inserted words will appear in the highlighted square with the number “1”. To the right, the area with the number “2” Shows the document being compared with the presence in the text and the words deleted and inserted in their place. The workspace with the number "3" shows us the original document (before making edits), while the space with the number "4" shows us the modified document with the edits made.

1. The remaining working field numbered “5” is a set of tools necessary for editing the final version of the document being developed.

By clicking “Accept”/“Reject” for the first time, you select the word that you will accept or reject, by clicking the second time you will change to one of the proposed options.

Red crossed out words are marked for deletion, and red underlined words will be replaced.

How to compare two documents if there is no Word?

What to do if you don’t have Word at hand. Many people, having the most common text editor available, are not aware of its enormous potential that goes beyond text formatting. And if you don’t remember how to compare or you have a different text editor, then there is only one way out: mark the words marked for deletion/insertion in one of the following ways:

— fill the text with red color for deleting, green for adding (you can choose arbitrary colors, but for this operation these are the most common ones).

— cross out deleted text/underline inserted text, etc.

Suddenly, if you want to download Microsoft Word, then go to the following link:

If you want to learn more about the capabilities of Word, then go here

For all other questions you can ask in the comments.