WinMerge 2.12.4

The option of comparing two article versions and highlighting the differences between them is one of the most useful functions of all services based on the Wikimedia technology. Unfortunately, however, for some reasons, this option is unavailable for ordinary people using office packages. Fortunately, there are open source programs which allow the user to compare files. One of such programs is WinMerge.

This GPL-licensed application enables us to compare two text files and their contents. However, this is not the only option it offers. It can also, as its name suggests, merge files while taking their differences into consideration. These are highlighted in real time by the program. The files themselves are placed next to each other so that the user clearly sees the differences between them. The program also makes it possible to compare folders and displays results in the form of continuous text or trees. It can also compare files which are packed into archives and thanks to its 7-zip engine, it supports a large number of formats.

Its interface is user-friendly and designed in order to be integrated with the Windows layer, also for the latest 64-bit systems. Besides, the program is very quickly installed and does not require any other procedures. Its big advantage is that it is available in the Polish language version and that it can edit the compared texts. To sum up, it is a very useful tool, especially if someone is used to the options offered by various wikis available on the Internet.