Contents. Compare Two Folders.There are many reasons for comparing or synchronizing thecontents of two folders.
Unix systems provide numerous ways to compare files. The most common way to verify that you have received or downloaded the proper file is to compute a checksum and compare it against one computed. CrcCheckCopy - verify large data copies by the CRC of each file. CrcCheckCopy is a command line utility that lets you compare the files of different folders. The checksum file enables you to compare folders on two remote computers without needing to transfer the whole folder.
Perhaps you want to compare a newly installed programwith a previous installation, or perhaps you're moving files between twocomputers. You could open each folder in an Explorer window and compare thefiles one by one, but this approach is prone to error. WMatch 2 lets you compareand synchronize folders easily. It displays two folders side by side andhighlights the differences using special colors and font styles.
You can thenuse this information to decide what files to copy, move, or delete.This new version adds numerous features. Network supportlets you compare folders on different computers. The updated interface uses treecontrols for fast folder selection. CRC checking tests whether files of the samename and size are truly the same. View options let you display only files thatare alike, different, newer, or older than their counterparts in the otherfolder. The new filtering capability lets you use wildcards to restrict thedisplay to a subset of the files in a folder. For convenience, you can startWMatch 2 from the command line, using parameters to specify the manner ofdisplay.
WMatch 2 is a ground-up rewrite of an old PC Magazinefavorite. The original DOS version, called DirMatch, was written by Michael J.Mefford and appeared in PC Magazine in 1989. WMatch 1, for 16-bitMicrosoft Windows systems, was published in 1995. A 32-bit version calledWMatch32 added support for long filenames. WMatch 2 runs under Microsoft Windows95 with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or later; Windows 98; Windows Me; WindowsNT 4.0 with IE 4 or later; Windows 2000, and Windows XP. The Delphi 6 sourcecode for WMatch 2 is provided with the utility for those interested in seeinghow it works.
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