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1992-10-02
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FC.DOC - Readme File for FC File Compare Utility
Copyright (C) Davis Augustine, 1991. All rights reserved.
Last Modified: 2oct92. Version 1.1a
Files
-----
FC.COM - The program
FC.DOC - This documentation file
Description
-----------
FC is a utility for comparing DOS text files. Its features
include:
Speed.
Side-by-side or over-and-under display.
Case sensitivity can be enabled and disabled.
Can show equal lines instead of non-equal.
Can show equal lines and non-equal in side-by-side display.
Whitespace sensitivity can be enabled and disabled.
Wildcard and directory names allowed as the second filename.
Can page the output so it doesn't scroll off the screen.
And more.
Installation
------------
Just copy FC.COM to your \BIN directory or wherever you keep
utility programs.
Help Screen (-h switch)
-----------------------
Usage: fc [-?hbceilnpqwx] [-m N] F1 F2
-?h Display this help message
-b Skip blank lines (don't try to match them)
-c Case sensitive comparison
-e Display equal lines instead of unequal ones
-i Display program information
-l Display shareware license
-m N Match N lines to realign files (Default is 3)
-n Suppress line numbering
-p Page the output (enter/space/tab/esc = line/page/flush/quit)
-q Quit when first difference found
-w Skip whitespace (don't try to match it)
-x Cross-wise output
Info Screen (-i switch)
-----------------------
********** FC PROGRAM INFORMATION **********
REQUIREMENTS:
FC runs on any x86 processor, under any version of DOS. It does not
access floating point or expanded or extended memory. The minimum amount
of memory needed for FC to execute in is only about 32K.
EXIT VALUES:
For people who write batch files using "if ERRORLEVEL..." statements,
FC returns 0 if the files are the same, 1 if they are different, and 2
if there is some kind of error.
COMMAND LINE:
Switches start with '/' or '-', and can appear anywhere in the command
line. Anything else is considered a filename. Two filenames must be given.
The second can be an actual filename, a "wildcard" name, a directory or a
disk drive. Here are examples of each, with various switch settings:
fc snoopy.doc snoopy.bak
fc -q snoopy.doc *.bak
fc snoopy.doc \backup -p
fc -m10 /x snoopy.doc D:
WHAT FC SHOWS (DEFAULT, -Q, -E):
Basically, FC compares the two files, skips matching lines and shows those
lines which differ. Under the -Q switch, FC stops when the first difference
is found, shows the nonmatching line in each file, and then quits. This is
used when you want to know if two files match or not, but don't care to see
the actual differing lines. It may also be of use to batch file programmers.
The -E switch is interesting but perhaps of questionable use. It causes
the equal lines to be displayed rather than the different ones. It is most
useful in combination with the -X switch (see below).
VERTICAL VS. SIDE-BY-SIDE (-X) DISPLAY, AND -N:
Normally, you will see a block of "unmatched" lines from file one, followed
by the corresponding block of unmatched lines from file two. Then another
block from file one, and so on. Lines are allowed to wrap around. Lines
are numbered, unless the -N switch is given. The -X switch produces a
"split screen" display, in which each file gets half of the screen and you
can really see where the files disagree. Finally, with both -X and -E set
you get the equal lines and the side-by-side unequal lines, thus putting the
differences in context. (A future version will be able to do side-by-side
between two screens at once: monochrome and EGA/VGA).
PAGING THE OUTPUT (-P):
This is FC's built-in "more" capability. With the -P switch, it stops
after one full screen is displayed and waits for a keystroke. Press ENTER
or DOWN ARROW to get the next line, SPACE or PAGE DOWN to get the next screen
full, TAB to dump the rest without pausing, and ESCAPE or CONTROL-C to exit
immediately. (Currently, a 25 line screen is assumed. A future version will
automatically detect the screen height.)
CASE AND SPACE SENSITIVITY (-C, -B, -W):
By default, all text differences are reported. You can tell FC to ignore
certain kinds of differences, however. The -C switch causes the compare to
be case insensitive, so that "Once Upon a Time", and "onCE uPoN a TIME" would
be considered the same lines. The -B switch causes FC to ignore blank lines
in either file. -W means skip whitespace differences between words, so that
a tab and a space (and all combinations of both) are considered the same.
RESYNC-ING (-M):
When FC runs into a difference between the files, it tries to find where
the files "resync", or start being identical again. Of course it is entirely
subjective when the files are "identical again". Is it a run of ten matching
lines, or five, or one? FC lets you set this threshold with the -M switch.
The default identity test is 3 lines.
CAVEATS:
Comparing very long files which have nothing in common may cause FC to exit
with the message "FC halted: no matching lines in N bytes". This means that
FC has searched as far as it can for a resync of the files without finding
one. There is probably no point in comparing the files anyway.
Shareware License (-L switch)
-----------------------------
********** FC SHAREWARE LICENSE **********
This is a copyrighted software work which is distributed as shareware.
Under this license agreement you are granted the right to use FC on all
machines and environments that it supports. You are also free (and
encouraged) to pass copies of this shareware on to others as long as it
is not for payment and not bundled with anything else that is for payment.
To become a registered user and receive immediate notice of updates,
send a registration fee by check or money order of 25 dollars to:
Davis Augustine
P.O. Box 610
Sausalito, CA. 94966-0610
Please indicate the version of FC you have and where you got it from.
Commercial distribution licenses, source code and customized versions
are also available at reasonable rates. Please write to the above address
or send me email at Compuserve id 72230,3053. I would also appreciate any
comments, questions, suggestions or bug reports.
Revision History
----------------
v1.1a 1oct92 - Change shareware mailing address
v1.0b 2apr91 - First shareware release