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Is there a utility to compare folders visually?

Is there some Lion-compatible Finder-like utility that will do the following?


  1. Display the list of files from two different folders, in parallel columns.
  2. Preferably display, too, such other attributes as you select (kind, date modified, size).
  3. indicate visually the differences between the two folders: --
    (a) which files in the first folder are not in the second, and vice versa;
    (b) which files are in both folders but are newer in the first folder than in the second folder, and vice versa?


Obviously if a utility can list the contents of two folders next to one another, you could go through the two lists file-by-file. But that's not what I'm asking about.


Please note that I am not asking about comparing and showing the differences between two files. Thus so far as I can tell, the following apps do not do what I'm asking about:

  • Araxis Merge
  • Kaleidoscope
  • Path Finder


Path Finder, at least, can display two folders in parallel columns; but so far as I can tell, there's no way to get it to indicate what I ask in #3, above.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.3), 3.4GHz Corei7, 16GB, SSD + 2T HD

Posted on Apr 6, 2012 5:36 PM

Reply
90 replies

Mar 24, 2014 7:54 AM in response to nerowolfe

Thanks nerowolfe


I wanted to delete one of the folders as I believed most of the files contained in it were also in another folder but wasn't sure.


The "diff -rq folderA folderB" command solved my problem very neatly. I got a list of files that were only in one of the folders as:


Only in FolderA/Sub-SolderA1/file1

Only in FolderA/Sub-SolderA1/file2

Only in FolderB/Sub-SolderB1/file3

etc.


Perfect!

Apr 5, 2015 4:07 AM in response to mr_director

mr_director wrote:


Thank you times a million.

The Mac Beta/Full Release is out and works exactly like how I need it to: http://www.scootersoftware.com/beta.php?zz=beta4_dl

A Huge thanks to murrayE for sticking with it & doing all the intense testing of everyones suggestions and the shortcomings involved.

Incredible Focus in solving what I've putzed on for years & also miss the options that I liked on the ole PC,

but that was 10 years now.


I've yet to come across a Bookmark system as solid done by MicroSoft.

It's so frustrating who ever did this for Apple in either direction, saving or locating,

that all sub folders are broke open, stretching bookmarks out past the screen.

I'll bet Murray has this solved as well.

I do Xmarks which has saved years of work lost, so it does deserve a plug.


I'm still holding out to upgrade 10.6.8 on this 09'MBP13" until new drives are done, with SSD.

So I'll take up this venture trying scooter's version, if it's avail for this OS.


If in the mean time, if someone has found a great solution,

keep this thread going, as it's one of the best.

Cheers.

Apr 18, 2016 9:06 AM in response to murrayE

Hi murrayE,


Thank you for your contributions in trying out all these different programs over the last 4 years. Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm curious if you've had a chance to try out Beyond Compare. As others have posted, it's now available for Mac and I haven't seen any specific comments from you regarding your thoughts to this application. You've become the unofficial critic/guru of visual folder comparison programs so I would love to hear your praise or critiques before I buy the program. Specifically if you prefer it over VisualDiffer, which seems to be the best of the programs you've tried for the Mac so far.


Thanks.

Apr 18, 2016 1:54 PM in response to ifrog3c

I did try Beyond Compare a bit but found its user interface busy and confusing. It seems to have the same limitations as the other Mac-based file/folder compare utilities I've tried (as contrasted with the . In particular, I haven't seen how to expand the entire tree(s) when doing a folder comparison.


For now I'll stick with VisualDiffer.

Is there a utility to compare folders visually?

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