Process
Ellié Computing Merge proposes two modes for folder comparison: simple comparison and merge. The comparison mode is made to get maximum place to see differences when you are not concerned with modifying the files or when you prefer to reconcile the differences by hand. Merge mode is tailored to give you a presentation of the difference oriented toward problems or "conflicts".
Depending on your needs several scenarios will apply.
Here is the global approach:
Now here are some cases:
Buttons and menus
Their actions apply to the selection. You can use the "Select All" menu (Ctrl+A) to make them apply to the whole directories tree.
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Resolve the item using the oldest file, applies to items that are different (other will not get affected) ![]()
Resolve the item using the most recent file, applies to items that are different (other will not get affected) ![]()
Resolve by keeping the orphan item ![]()
Resolve by removing orphan item ![]()
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Resolve the item respectively with left, middle (ie. ancestor) or right versions
The Resolve with ancestor button is available only in 3-way modeThese buttons applies to all situations, if the matching is deleted, a removal operation will occur in the output folders if necessary
Unresolves the item Presents all the classes and what to do for them, if you let some of them to 'Let unresolved' items of those classes will not be touched by the action
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Merges the present version together, opening a view to let you finish the job. If you launch several merges, from which some did not have conflicts, those merges will remain in background and views won't be created for them ![]()
Writes all the defined results to the disk, items for which a defined rule or a default rule gave a result are written. They are also marked as written , such items are not written again unless the marker is removed or appears as
(written partially: it happens when newly selecting folders as result folders). Merged items (2-way or 3-way) are never written again and never get the 'written partially' marker, because a merge operation is not a stable operation (i.e. redoing the same operation will not necessarily lead to the same result).
This button shows the Write Merge Results dialog box which allows you to simulate and/or run the actual merge.![]()
Refreshes only portions of the tree that changed since last comparison, hence, most of the time, the view will not even blink. If some items changed out of the control of the application, they are compared again.
Files comparisons launched from folders comparison
When using the "Resolve by merge" button
,
situations with conflicts will open file merge views (a view is
systematically open if a single line is selected). You will use
this view to first solve the conflict and then save the result
to the folder. For that purpose, you will use the "Save and
solve" button
.
Pressing this button will validate and write immediately the
results, it will also show the written marker for this
item
. The matching
folder item will get the 'merged' status and will indicate
"Nothing to do" in the "Remain actions" column.
When you launch several merge actions at the same time
(with a selection of multiple items or by selecting a folder),
many views may open, you can break the process at a time by
pressing 'Cancel' in the progression box that will appear. The
files for which the merge process could find a reasonable
solution are marked with "Auto-merge success", the synthetic
result of the merge is kept in memory and nothing is written
yet.