Re: Using "Compare to file..." to update source

I have tried LPEX compare in the past but that was before I knew about line selection and copying. I might try again just for fun but I probably will stick with the Eclipse style since it’s the most common compare tool format I have used. One positive with the compare tools I use is that I can quickly apply one or all differences (the all I never use but I could if I wanted). I can select and copy lines to merge but I only need to do this when the compare gets confused about what lines it thinks needs to be replaced.

I almost never use the RDi compare tool; it is the Eclipse compare tool but I don’t like it as much as the iSphere version. iSphere compare only requires that you pick one member before starting the compare process.

I have a request in to the iSphere project to allow of starting the compare tool without first selecting a member. I asked because sometimes I need to compare to source not managed by Aldon and not yet in a filter (or in a large select filter). For me it's just quicker to key in the comparison members than search my vast list of filters. I hope they can do it.

I had requested a RFE a while ago to make the LPEX compare popup better by allowing filtering like you can with the open member popup but IBM said no thanks.

-Matt


-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L [mailto:wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Vernon Hamberg
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2017 11:21 AM
To: wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Using "Compare to file..." to update source

Hi Matt

I'll have to look again at the Eclipse compare - seems I've tried it and had problems, but that's a while ago.

There is also an RSE "compare to each other" - I don't think this is the Eclipse one. That one is excellent for comparing and merging changes for IFS files, in my experience.

I do suggest trying the approach I laid out - you might be surprised at how easy it is. Especially if you use Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V with the selected "red" code.

Vern

On 6/20/2017 10:31 AM, Tyler, Matt wrote:

" Now I don't know any other way to do this kind of thing from this compare. The other side-by-side compare ends up with new source change dates for the entire member, IIRC." I have NEVER experienced this feature using the Eclipse compare tool.

I use Aldon's compare primarily (you can compare in LPEX or Eclipse) and if my source is not managed or checked out in Aldon I progress to the iSphere compare. Both offer ways to compare in read only and in edit mode. The only thing the Eclipse compare has modified for me is the source coloring characters to "?" characters. The Eclipse compare tool is far simpler for merging source together, IMO. It even lets you "modify" the source date if you need to.

-Matt


-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L [mailto:wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Vernon Hamberg
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2017 9:19 AM
To: Websphere Development Studio Client for iSeries
<wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [WDSCI-L] Using "Compare to file..." to update source

Y'all

We have occasion to make the same changes to source members of the
same name and purpose in different environments. Questions as to
__why__ will be ignored, at least by this person!! :)

So I was looking for an effective way to do this in RDi - opt 55 in PDM is one thing I've found to be very powerful.

Most of the compare-merge utilities are, shall we say, too aggressive, make wholesale changes to change dates, etc.

So I found that I can use the "Compare to file..." function nicely for this - one gets to this either in the Edit menu or using the delta symbol on the toolbar of RDi.

Once you get the compare window up, you'll see differences with red and yellow lines - the red is in the source you are comparing to, the yellow is what you have in the source you had open.

In this case, the source you are comparing to is the one with the more recent changes, so you want to bring those into the source you are working in.

You can't, so far as I can tell, use the SEU techniques of CC block copy from the red lines. When I tried that, it copied a blank line or lines, not the content in red.

So I thought about the line-select feature, like this

- Alt-L on the first red line and again on the last red line
- Move cursor to the last yellow line
- Alt-C to copy the lines after the line where the cursor is
- Remove all the yellow lines, maybe with Ctrl-Backspace or the Alt-L stuff again
- Ctrl-Shift-R to refresh the compare - voilá - no difference now

One nice thing - all the source change dates are maintained of updated as they should be.

Now I don't know any other way to do this kind of thing from this compare. The other side-by-side compare ends up with new source change dates for the entire member, IIRC.

I might just submit an RFE to allow using the SEU codes to copy from the "red" stuff into the live source.

Thoughts are welcome, of course!

Regards
Vern
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