Configuring diff/merge application settings

You can configure settings for applications you use to view differences and merge files. You can set options for:

  • Using Guiffy, the integrated diff/merge application
  • Comparing Microsoft Word documents
  • Viewing differences between file versions in code reviews
User options apply only to the current user account logged in to the computer. Some user options may be disabled, which indicates they are set on the server and cannot be changed.

1. Choose Tools > User Options then select Application Settings from the Diff/Merge category.

2. Select any Guiffy Configuration options.

  • Enter the Java runtime path or click Browse to select a directory.
  • Enter the Guiffy path or click Browse to select a directory.
  • Enter the maximum amount of memory for Guiffy to use. The default is 64 MB.
  • Select the Guiffy language to use. <Default> indicates that Guiffy will select the language.
  • Select Use Surround SCM default Guiffy toolbars to display only the Guiffy toolbars used in Surround SCM.

3. Select a Microsoft Word Configuration option to indicate how to display differences between Word document versions.

  • Compare and Merge displays differences as tracked changes.
  • Side by Side compares documents side-by-side.

4. Select any Code Review Configuration options to indicate how to display differences between file versions in code reviews by default. You can change the options while working with code reviews. See Changing code review view options.

  • Select the changes to Ignore when displaying differences in each line in a file. Case differences excludes differences in character case. White space excludes all white space differences (spaces and tabs). White space changes excludes additions or deletions to existing white space.
  • Select a Differences output option to indicate how to generate diff results. You may want to change this option to diff results more quickly or view a more compact set of changes. Normal compares versions using the normal diff and is the default option. Minimal may show a smaller set of differences, but may run more slowly. Fast may run more quickly than the other options and be the best way to compare large files with small groups of scattered changes.

5. Click OK to save the changes.