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 VALIDATE program 
This program will compare one dataset (.REC file) to another, listing the  differences, if any.  Although it is designed to compare to compare files  of identical structure, if the files contain field names that are common  to both files, only those fields will be compared. Context sensitive help is provided for the following topics: 
     Command
Parameters
     File
     File
     Output
     Screen
     Printer
     File
     Output
     File
Dialog
     Include
Deleted
Records
     Use
Unique
     Match
Fields
     Scroll
     OK
Button
     Cancel
Button
Press <Esc> to put this help screen away. 
 File 1 
Enter the name of the first file to be compared.  Alternately, you may select the file name from the 
        file
dialog
 File 2 
 Screen 
Select this option to direct the output of the comparison to the screen.   If more information is generated than will fit on the screen, you will  be allowed to scroll through it using the scroll
bars.  Output to the screen is limited to about 64,000 characters.  If your files generate more than this number of differences, you probably don't want to see them on the screen anyway, and would select Printer or File to view them at your leisure. 
 Printer 
Select this option to direct the output of the comparison to the default DOS printer. 
 File 
Select this option to direct the output of the comparison to a file.  If you select this option, you will be allowed to enter the name of the file in  the output
name input line. 
 Output File Name 
If you have selected output
to a file, you will be allowed to enter the name of the file in this input line.   If the file doesn't exist, a new file will be created.  If the file exists, you will be given the opportunity to cancel the comparison, append to the file, or overwrite the file.   If you enter nothing in this field, output will be directed to DOS' standard output device.   
 Include Deleted Records 
Select this check
box if deleted records are to be compared. 
 Use Unique IDs 
If the records in the files to be compared are no in the same order, select this check
box to indicate that a field which contains a unique value for each record will be used to order the records before making the comparison.  You will subsequently be allowed to select the fields to be used from the 
    match
fields dialog box.
 Match Fields 
Select a field which contains a unique value for each record to be used in the ordering of the records of the files to be compared. 
 OK Button 
Once all options are entered, select the OK button with the mouse or tab key and press the <spacebar> or <Enter>.  This button may be pressed in any context with the <Alt-K> key combination. 
 Cancel Button 
To abandon program, select Cancel with the mouse or press <Esc>. 
 File Dialog Box 
Select the file to be compared.  The file you select must exist. This dialog box contains a list of files in the current directory. You may select a file to compare using any of the following methods: ?
 Type the name of the file with its  extension into the Name K
  input line.  Click on the Open button or press <Enter> to open the file.
 Type the name of a file with global file name (wild card) "
  characters into the Name input line.  A list of files matching this
  specification appears in the Files list box below.  Using the
  Tab and arrow keys highlight a file name in the list box or
  select one with the mouse and click on the Open button or
  press <Enter> to open the file.
 You can see the contents of other disk directories by selecting {
  the directory entries in the Files list box.  Directory
  entries are those entries ending with the backslash character (\).
  To see the contents of another disk drive, type in the
  complete file specification with drive specifier and wild cards
  and click on the Open button or press <Enter>.  You can then
  select a file name from the Files list box  as described above.
 The input line contains a history list of previously entered file ;
  specifications. Press the down arrow or click on the arrow
  box to the right of the input line to view  this list.  Use
  the arrow keys or the mouse to highlight a specification and
  press <Enter> to move this specification into the input line.  You
  can then proceed to select a filename as described above.
Note that in all cases, double clicking with a mouse on a filename or file specification is the same as pressing <Enter> or selecting OK with the mouse.  You can view the directory information of the selected file in the panel at the bottom of the dialog box. h
To exit the dialog box without opening the Epi Info file, press <Esc> or click on the 
Cancel
Button
 Check box 
Select the check box by highlighting it and entering a space,  or click on it with the mouse. 
 Radio Buttons 
Select the desired radio button by clicking on it with a mouse, or using the arrow keys and pressing <Enter> or <Tab>. 
 Scroll Bars 
If more items are available than will fit in a view, scroll bars are displayed.  You may scroll through the view using the arrow keys, PgDn, PgUp, or mouse action on the scroll bars. 
 Output To 
Select the desired destination for the results of the comparison using the Output to radio
buttons.  The available options are:  
    Screen
    Printer
    File
 Command Line Parameters 
To launch VALIDATE from the DOS prompt use 2
   VALIDATE <file 1> <file 2> [[key] [outname]] 
Where <file 1> and <file 2> are the names of the EPI-Info files to be compared.   [key] and [outname] are optional, but if outname is specified, key must be specified. key is the name of a variable that contains a unique value for each record and is used for matching records when the order is different between the two files. outname is the name of the output file, which can be PRN, LPT1, LPT2 or any valid DOS filename.