Factory reset?

[ugeuder]

I use BC3 on Linux, recently upgraded to build 8602.

From my earlier BC2 usage on Windows I thought I'm quite experienced with defining my own text formats (regexps of text to be considered important or unimportant)

However, in BC3 I failed totally. After everything seems to be screwed up (even elementary text file comparisons lead to ridiculous results), the most urgent question would be how can I get a full factory reset? Is there any easier way than uninstall the application, delete all settings files and reinstall it?

I've found a "Factory Defaults" button under Tools --> File Formats, but it does not have any impact to the selections under Session --> Session Settings // Importance // Default text. (Just to mention 1 example)

[Aaron]

To restore Session Setting defaults, you'll want to go to the Home Screen. There, at the top, will be a green folder with Edit Session Defaults. Here you can restore each session type to the Factory Defaults.

In BC3, we seperated out the definitions of Grammar (what would have been defined as Unimportant or Strings in BC2). Instead of limited to Unimportant or String/Important, we let you arbitrarily name the Grammars. You can then mark them in the Session as Important or Unimportant. This way, one session can treat "comments" as Unimportant, and another could include them as Important, etc.

If you would like, you can post example files here, or email to [email protected] and explain what you are seeing when you compare, and what you would like/intend to see, and we can help with your File Format and Session settings.

***Side Note (in case it is also needed):
Here's a preliminary draft of a KB article that will restore the File Formats section to defaults.

I deleted a Default File Format and I need to restore it!

If you accidentally delete a built-in File Format from the File Formats menu or by using the “Delete All Existing” option during an Import, you will need to manually restore your BCFileFormats.xml.

To do so, Close Beyond Compare 3.
Then go to "%AppData%\Scooter Software\Beyond Compare 3" and Move the BCFileFormats.xml out of that folder.
Launch Beyond Compare 3, and the File Formats list will include the Factory Defaults.
You can then optionally re-import additional File Formats from your BCFileFormats.xml. Go to Tools->Import Settings, then select your old BCFileFormats.xml.

[Aaron]

The Linux path is in your Home directory/.beyondcompare/BCFileFormats.xml

[ugeuder]

To restore Session Setting defaults, you'll want to go to the Home Screen.
...

Thanks that helped me forward indeed. As a matter of fact I wasn't aware of the whole home screen. I've invoked BC only from the File Browser so far.

In BC3, we seperated out the definitions of Grammar (what would have been defined as Unimportant or Strings in BC2). Instead of limited to Unimportant or String/Important, we let you arbitrarily name the Grammars. You can then mark them in the Session as Important or Unimportant.

Right. I thought I've understood this idea. Just in real life things went wrong somehow.

If you would like, you can post example files here, or email to [email protected] and explain what you are seeing when you compare, and what you would like/intend to see, and we can help with your File Format and Session settings.

Thanks for the offer. Today I haven't found time to experiment with my formats. I'll come back to it after some more experimenting.