Folder compare failing to show similar files

[Michael Bulgrien]

I haven't tried this in a while, so I can't tell when it broke:

I've created a file format that encompasses several file types that have version information in them. The file format contains Grammer that defines the version information in each file type as unimportant with everything else being important.

My new Version Control file format is at the top of my file formats list, and double-clicking on any file pair opens a text compare that shows the files to be equal if the ignore differences option is enabled. Upon returning to the folder compare, the equality column between the two sides is appropriately set to (≈).

All is well up to this point. The failure comes when I compare the files from within the folder compare session:

Session Settings - Comparison tab:

All quick tests are disabled, and the Compare contents section is set to "Rules-based comparison"

Session Settings - Handling tab:

All folder handling options are disabled (no automatic scan of subfolders in background)

I am comparing two fully expanded folder structures. The files in the folders have different datetime stamps. If I select one or more file pairs and perform a rules-based comparison from the right-click context menu, the equality column between the two sides is updated to show the files as binarily inequivalent (0100 ≠). I was expecting them to show as similar (≈). It does not matter if I have the "Ignore Unimportant Differences" toggle enabled or not, the results are always the same, and BC3 appears to be doing a binary comparison even though I am asking for a rules-based comparison.

Please, this needs to be fixed.

[Michael Bulgrien]

I just tried changing the Quick Compare Startup Options to perform a Rules-based quick compare instead of a Binary quick compare. The same problem occurs with a quick compare from the folder compare session... the files are reported to have "Binary differences". Clicking the "Open View" button, however, opens up a text compare that shows the files as equal with Unimportant differences.

[Zoë]

It got broken in 3.1.5. We'll work on getting a new build out ASAP.

[WanderingZombie]

It got broken in 3.1.5. We'll work on getting a new build out ASAP.

Difficult for me to prove 100% but as I normally upgrade as soon as a release is out (in the hope that the flashing x in a red circle will stop flashing by being fixed without needing to restart BC3)... I would say you've only just broken this in 3.1.6 as rule based folder comparisons have been working for me.

BC3 is now useless as all my sessions are rule based folder comparisons, which of course show everything as being different when in fact they're not!

Please could you post a link to previous versions that could be downloaded?

Eagerly awaiting 3.1.7 too!

[Zoë]

Hi WanderingZombie,

Please verify that you're running 3.1.6 and not 3.1.5. v3.1.6 just finished uploading a few minutes ago, and should have this bug fixed.

[WanderingZombie]

Hi Craig

Sorry, my mistake. I hadn't spotted that the 3.1.6 fix had been released so soon after BC3 had reported 'new version available' and had assumed that I was running the latest release (as it wasn't showing 'new version available'). Clearly you guys can move faster than the average software producer!

I can see now that the change log would show me the release dates of different versions. Maybe adding something like "broken in 3.1.5 (also released today)" to the forum announcement for 3.1.6 might help those that are not so on the ball!

Phew! I would be completely lost without a working copy of BC3!

[Michael Bulgrien]

Thanks, this is now working in BC 3.1.6.10721

[DorothyFan1]

Wait a minute! What about the rest of us?! Can you at least release 3.1.8 to get us all up to speed?! How many of us will know about this issue until they bump into it?!

3.1.8. ASAP please.

[Zoë]

DorothyFan1,

We appreciate your enthusiasm, but please stop jumping in threads and saying that any issue brought up is a serious problem that must be fixed ASAP. This particular problem was introduced in 3.1.5 and was fixed in 3.1.6, released later that day. It was not reintroduced in 3.1.7, you don't need 3.1.8 for a fix.

[DorothyFan1]

DorothyFan1,

We appreciate your enthusiasm, but please stop jumping in threads and saying that any issue brought up is a serious problem that must be fixed ASAP. This particular problem was introduced in 3.1.5 and was fixed in 3.1.6, released later that day. It was not reintroduced in 3.1.7, you don't need 3.1.8 for a fix.

Whew! That was close. And I apologize for doing that. But when I read about problems like this...I don't hear much about whether or not something has been broken still applies to the latest release. For example, I wasn't aware this issue doesn't apply to 3.1.7. so if there is any confusion...the issue is mine but it would help if you guys could clarify situations like this better.

Thanks.

[Michael Bulgrien]

I suppose part of the problem is that I have the version of BC3 that I'm running in my forum signature... so when I upgrade BC3 and update my signature, a reference to the new version appears at the bottom of the original post. Subsequent posts, however, should have been sufficient to indicate that the problem has been fixed... and at what version.