Beyond Compare is an application that's supposed to allow users to compare files, folders, archives or even FTP servers with the help of a clean, tab-based interface.
The program might very seem a bit overwhelming at first glance, since there are features and menus everywhere you look, so you will need a few minutes to get used to it.
As soon as you open the app, you are prompted to choose a new session and decide whether you like to compare folders, text documents, MP3s, pictures, registry entries, versions or HEX data.
The interface is pretty much the same no matter which option you choose. There are two similar panels, one of the left and one on the right that let you compare the content on the go.
Just go over to 'Actions' to see more tools, such as the ones for comparing contents, copying or moving to a folder, refreshing the selection or creating a file compare report.
There's also a synchronize tool, because yes, Beyond Compare can do that too, so you can either update right, left or both, or just mirror to the right or to the left.
The 'Options' menu has tons of entries, starting with the way information is organized in tabs and ending with folder views and file views, so you may spend some time in here as well.
Last but not least, there is also a dedicated feature to save the working sessions for later editing and, in case you need it, Beyond Compare has a built-in FTP tool and comes equipped with ZIP support.
As a conclusion Beyond Compare remains a very useful solution. It's one of the best of its kind and really deserves a chance if you're in the market for such an app.
Limitations:
· 30 days trial
What's New in This Release:
Data Compare:
· Fixed "Treat surrounding whitespace as part of delimiter" checking for non-delimiting space or tab characters.
· Fixed "Details resize columns to fit" option preventing columns from being hidden in details.
File Formats:
· Added *.dot, *.dotx, and *.dotm to the "MS Word Documents" format.
File Views:
· Fixed selection drawing in the center spacer when the right side is selected.
Folder Compare:
· Added support for showing progress on the Windows Vista/7 taskbar button.
Folder Sync:
· Added Windows Vista/7 taskbar progress reporting.
Misc:
· Fixed 64-bit Explorer extension crash when launched from Altrap Salamander.
· Possible fix for excessive caching in the "Check for Updates" dialog.
Options:
· Improved message when Explorer extension is disabled for portable installs.
Scripting:
· Added support for explicitly loading a session at the base level by prefixing its name with ".".
· Fixed crash when using STATS-DESCRIPTIVE option for FILE-REPORT.
Text Views:
· Updated PDF text e...