Bcomp /qc understanding exitcodes

[rakh1]

Hi all,

When running BComp with the /qc switch it outputs an exit code based on the result of its test (see below). My question is: how does it decide which exit code to use.

For example - let's say I have two excel files. They contain the same info but were created by different authors. This means that binarily they are not the same - but by rules based they should be. Do I get an exit code 0, 2, 11, or 12? If I have a small difference in these excel files do I get exit code 11, 12, 13, 14?

Can anyone help point me to where this is documented - or give me an idea of the decision tree in use?

Thanks, Rich

--

Level Meaning
0 Success
1 Binary same
2 Rules-based same
11 Binary differences
12 Similar
13 Rules-based differences
14 Conflicts detected
100 Unknown error
101 Conflicts detected, merge output not written
102 BComp.exe unable to wait until BCompare.exe finishes
103 BComp.exe cannot find BCompare.exe
104 Trial period expired
105 Error loading script file
106 Script syntax error
107 Script failed to load folders or files

[Aaron]

Hello,

It is probably easiest to look at the files first in the graphical interface. Here we display the returned results as a text phrase in the lower left of the bottom status bar. A pair of Excel Files will either be Rules-based Equal, Rules-based Different, Similar, or Binary Equal. Similar is if the only differences found are defined as Unimportant (blue); since this needs to be defined as a session setting this will not be possible without configuration first. If there is a single red difference, then the files will be Different (not Similar). If the files are exact binary copies, then they will return Binary Equal.

The documentation lists every possible output, but some are used specifically for other command lines. A return of 14 - Conflicts detected is used during a command line automerge, for example. 107 is specific to Script calls.

[rakh1]

so - if a file is both rules AND binarily different - which error code is returned? There must be a decision tree coded in somewhere to make this decision - can you uncover it???

Thanks, Rich

[Zoë]

Beyond Compare performs the binary comparison first and only does the rules-based one if needed, and the return values are designed to give you the most information they can, as to the extent of the match or difference. A binary exact match is more information than a rules-based exact match, but a rules-based difference is more information than a binary difference.

More concretely, if you use /qc to a rules-based comparison, the only time you'll see 11 (binary difference) is if the files are binary and compared by the hex compare, since a "rules-based" comparison won't give more information.

[rakh1]

so - if I have two excel files that are binarily different, but rules based the same then the system works its way up the list....

0 Success - NO, there are differences
1 Binary same - NO, they are different at this level
2 Rules-based same - YES, rules based are the same - EXIT here with code 2
11 Binary differences - is not returned as it has already exited

[Zoë]

Yes

[rakh1]

Perfect - thanks - thread closed

/R

[Jorrit Neleman]

When is exit code 0 used, eg what is the difference between exit code 0 and 1?

[Aaron]

Hello,

The full list above is of every return code, not just those used by /quickcompare. 0 is used in scripting when the script runs and finishes, for example. If you are using /qc and seeing 0, there may have been a crash that interrupting setting the code, or you should use bcomp.com instead of bcompare.exe.

[Jorrit Neleman]

I'm using \qc and did not see 0, so that's why I asked. I was wondering when I should see exit code 0, now I understand. Thanx!