Line Difference Coloring at Character level
Windows visual diff and merge for files and directories
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#1721 Line Difference Coloring at Character level
WinMerge version 2.8.0 and 2.6.14
At Edit -> Options -> Editor
there is an box named "Line Difference Coloring" where you can enable "View line differences" at either "Character level" or "Word-level:". For Word-level there is an combobox where you can select between "Break at whitespace" or "Break at whitespace or punctuation".
But the selection in the combobox also affect the diff result when "Character level" is selected! The diff result should not be affected by the selection in the combobox when "Character level" is selected.
Word-level:
"Break at whitespace" or "Break at whitespace or punctuation".
means: a word starts and ends at such a position.
in case of a diff this complete 'word' will be marked.
Character level:
it indicates all inside the 'Word-level' from first to last difference.
So the affect is correct, no bug.
No, Matthias your explanation is wrong. This is a bug.
As you can see in the GUI the combobox with "Break at whitespace" or "Break at whitespace or punctuation" is intended to only affect the selection "Word-level:". Not "Character level".
With version 2.10.4.0 you can see the difference when comparing:
abcdef,abcdef,abcdef,
and
abcdef,abccef,abcdef,
Test all four combination of word/character level and "Break at...". You can also see a problem similar to the bug reported in #1910870.
yes, with the sample I have also some diff in color.
You see we need allways sample files.
But what I wrote is correct.
with your sample:
First we detect for a word:
Break at whitespace => we have only one word
Break at whitespace or punctuation => we have three words
Now check for coloring char or word. Thats the way WM is doing the job.
if you change your sample it shows ok?
abcdef,abccef,abcdef,
and
abcdef,abcdef,abcdef,
the problem is the second word is same as thirt.
If you interchange, the second word won't be found in second string.
Problem is we need to analyze the string like done for lines.
Puhh... That will take a long time to solve.
Interesting that WinMerge gives diferent result when you interchange left and right file. But that is not the main point in this bug-report. The main point is that WinMerge supports two line-difference options: Character-level and Word-level where Word-level has two more options. And the Word-level options shall never have any influence when you select Character-level.
If you truely belive that Word-level options shall affect Character-level handling, then the GUI (Edit -> Options -> Editor) must by changed (and update the Help description).
>If you truely belive that Word-level options shall affect Character-level
>handling, then the GUI (Edit -> Options -> Editor) must by changed (and
>update the Help description).
yes, so WM is designed.
The differ result is related to a bug.
tobe closed as fixed