Table Of Contents

XML Text Comparisons

 

 

These options apply to comparisons and merges of files detected as XML files (the files beginning with "<?xml" marker).
The primary goal of these feature is to allow efficient comparisons as the comparison engine of Ellié Computing Merge is primarily oriented toward comparing lines of text.

Pretty print at load time/Compact at save time

These options allows to tell whether the algorithms should be applied for : All text files, Only for XML files or Never. The detection of the XML marker may not always be a perfect solution. These options let you apply the algorithm when useful for you. Note that these options can be specified per text document as well (so that you can force application to a single comparison/merge, not necessarily for all comparisons from now on).

The pretty-printing engine supports DTD, CDATA and standard XML tags. It formats tags so that only tags containing only simple text remain on a single line. The other are breaked and indented according to their current number of ancestors (i.e. level of containance).

Reformat, Do not format these tags

Select with Reformat to which tags the algorithm should apply: All tags or Tags with no spaces. Additionally, the tags in Do not format these tags will never be touched.
The criterium 'Tags with no spaces' means the tags for which no spaces are in front or at end of texts between start tag, sub-tags and end tag of a given tag.
This mode will remember the tags left untouched.

Remember tags left untouched for compaction

If this checkbox is selected, the Compaction algorithm will automatically leave untouched the same tags that the pretty-printing did not pretty-print. This way, applying both algorithms to an XML text leaves the original text intact.

Just break into lines

This option just removes the indentations while keeping the pretty printing principle. It is useful for XML document with high-level of containance. Note that when you do not use this option, selecting Ignore differences in whitespace at start of lines may be helpful for your comparisons as it will prevent the difference in level of containance of given tags from preventing their matching at line level.

See also

• Options dialog box
• Text Comparisons