Tools for file comparison and similar file search

The Actions menu in the top navigation bar gives you three features — Process the solution, Compare files, and Find similar files — that let you process, compare and search for files directly within the software (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Process the solution

This performs the same action as pressing the Process button on the main interface: it applies the currently selected solutions to the loaded file.

Compare files

Compare the currently loaded file (or another file you select) with a second file of your choice. The comparison tells you whether the two files are identical or different — especially useful for checking whether a solution has changed between versions.

Figure 2

Find similar files

This scans a selected folder and its subfolders, compares their contents with the currently loaded file (or another file you choose), and lists the matches sorted by percentage of similarity.

It is particularly useful for finding files that can serve as reference templates or starting points — especially with unknown or partially modified files. For example, after reading an ECU from a vehicle you can find earlier jobs you did on similar files.

Figure 3

Note — Compare files and Find similar files only read and compare files; they do not modify the loaded file.

The video below walks through these functions and highlights best practices for using them effectively.

See also

• Start a new job and save it once you've made changes
• Options: fault removal and aggressive modifications
• Overview of the software interface and features