Comparing Rational ClearCase XML Diff Merge window controls

You can use the Rational® ClearCase® XML Diff Merge - Comparing window controls allow you to manipulate and navigate XML data as you analyze the differences between contributors.

The same controls that are available in the Viewing window are available in the Comparing window. In addition, the Comparing window adds a set of difference navigation controls, and provides access to the text-based Diff Merge tool.

Most controls are in the menu system and toolbar at the top of the window. Many, but not all, functions are duplicated in both the menus and toolbar.

Difference navigation controls

Use the menu and toolbar commands described in Table 1 to step through differences.

Table 1. Commands in the Comparing window
Menu command Toolbar button Description
Navigate > Next Difference Step forward to the next difference node. Shows both resolved and unresolved differences.
Navigate > Previous Difference Step back to the previous resolved or unresolved difference node.
Navigate > Next Unresolved Difference Step to the next node that cannot be automatically resolved and would result in a merge conflict.

This function is only available if you are displaying more than two documents, because there are no conflicts between two documents.

Navigate > Previous Unresolved Difference Step to the previous unresolved difference. This function is only available if you are displaying more than two documents
Navigate > Last Difference Jump to the last resolved or unresolved difference node.
Navigate > First Difference Jump to the first resolved or unresolved difference node.
Navigate > Current Difference If the current difference node is not selected:

Move the selection to the current difference node:

Navigate > Next Location A moved node occupies more than one location in the display. Use this command to cycle through all the locations of a moved node in all contributors, including empty placeholders.

The active view is changed to indicate the contributor that has the value.

In a merge, the output node is also synchronized.

Pane synchronization

All the contributor panes are tightly synchronized. The menu and toolbar commands to control the tree display perform the same functions as in the Viewing window, but the panes expand, collapse, and scroll together. When you select an item in one contributor, the same item is selected in all contributors. Also, when you insert or remove an item in one contributor, the display in the other panes is balanced by a placeholder.

These features (and the fact that all text lines are the same height) guarantee that corresponding items are always aligned across contributor panes. Also, in the Comparing window, all input contributors are shown with the same number of nodes, if you count the placeholders.

Document view controls

For operations on specific contributors (like displaying the source in text or Web view), you select a contributor by clicking its pane. The active pane is indicated by the dark color of the title bar. In addition to the document view controls available in viewing mode, the Comparing window provides the following function:

Menu command Toolbar button Description
File > Compare as text None Open your contributors in the Diff Merge tool. Your data is displayed as text instead of a structured node tree, enabling you to compare versions line by line.

The Diff Merge operation fails if your XML text file:

  • Has lines that are too long (over 3,000 characters).
  • Is encoded with UTF16.

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