Changing output options

When you save a merge output version, the default behavior of Rational® ClearCase® XML Diff Merge is to preserve the encoding scheme and line ending format (Windows or UNIX) of the input contributors whenever possible. If the contributors use different formats, XML Diff Merge cannot automatically choose the encoding scheme, and opens a window prompting you to choose one.

In most cases, preserving the encoding scheme and line ending format of the contributors is the preferred behavior. However, if the input formats are not what you want, you can use the Output page of the Options window to override the automatic settings. The override converts the merge output to another encoding scheme or uses a different end-of-line format.

Setting the output encoding

To specify the output encoding, select one of the options in the Encoding area. The default automatic setting ensures that the output encoding you select and any XML declaration are always in agreement.

Output encoding of UTF-8 or UTF-16 do not have to be declared an XML document. However, if you change the output encoding to ISO-8859-1 or ASCII, the encoding needs to be declared. In this case, XML Diff Merge modifies the output version in one of the following ways:

Note: When you convert to a different encoding scheme, some characters and entities may be translated differently. For example:
  • Some characters may be generated as character references.
  • Some character references (for example, ¶) may be generated as characters.

Setting the line ending format

By default, Rational ClearCase XML Diff Merge writes the merge output using whatever end-of-line format your contributors use. To override the default Automatic setting and explicitly set a different end-of-line format in the merge output, select one of the options in the Line Endings area.


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