We are pleased to announce that we've just released a beta of ExamDiff Pro 7.0!

Here's what's new in ExamDiff Pro 7.0 (as compared to 6.0):

Two-Way Merge (Master Edition only)

The biggest new feature that's coming to ExamDiff Pro 7.0 Master Edition is two-way file merge, a new mode that shares characteristics with both file comparison and three-way file merge. Two-way merge is useful for reconciling changes in a version control system that doesn't provide the base file, or when you need to reconcile the differences between two separate files.

For more information, see our blog entry about two-way merge.

Parallel Full Comparison (All Editions)

Full content file comparison is a powerful feature, but it can take a long time, especially when comparing large directories with many files. Parallel Full Comparison addresses this issue by performing directory comparison in two stages.

With this feature enabled, ExamDiff Pro first displays the fast but imprecise metadata comparison results, then begins to perform full file comparison in a background task. The file comparison operations are prioritized by files' visibility in the comparison window, so new results appear quickly as you scroll to a new area.

For more information, see our blog entry about parallel full comparison.

Line Inspector in Merge Mode (Master Edition only)

One of ExamDiff Pro's most popular features is the Line Inspector panel that allows you to easily visualize the differences between two matching lines. ExamDiff Pro 7.0 adds the Line Inspector to two-way and three-way merge. The Line Inspector panel in Merge mode shows three lines, for the left, center, and right files, and enables you to select which block to use for a given difference.

For more information, see our blog entry about the Line Inspector in Merge mode.

Export/Import Settings Commands (All Editions)

Let's say that you're moving to a new computer and want to keep all of your ExamDiff Pro settings, or that you want to send all of your settings over to a coworker. ExamDiff Pro 7.0 makes this easy with an Export Settings command that exports all settings (for all sessions, as well as global settings) to a file. You can then import this file using the Import Settings command.

For more information, see our blog entry about the Export/Import Settings commands.

Other Additions In ExamDiff Pro 7.0 (All Editions)

• Ability to search for options
• Ability to search in toolbar customization dialog
• Ability to clear comparison history, recent sessions, or recent session files
• New directory comparison context menu commands:
  • Open
  • Open Both
  • Copy as Path
• Ctrl-Mouse wheel adjusts font size
• Text file encoding shown in status bars and highlighted if different
• New Tools menu for settings-related commands
• New Options | Tools pane for options pertaining to external tools
• Option to make the directory comparison backup directory hidden
• Improved layout for many dialogs
• Reorganized directory comparison context menu to make rarely used commands less prominent
• Rearranged "Comparison precision" settings under Options | Directory Compare
• Newer/Older file comparison status panes are now colored
• Bug fix: Empty directories not matching comparison filters were still shown in directory comparison

Note: Starting with version 7.0, ExamDiff Pro no longer supports Windows 98, Me, and 2000.

Let's say that you're moving to a new computer and want to keep all of your ExamDiff Pro settings, or that you want to send all of your settings over to a coworker. ExamDiff Pro currently allows to export your sessions to files, but if you have multiple sessions, it can be tedious to export each one individually. In addition, there are global, non-session-related settings, that cannot be exported in this way.

The next version of ExamDiff Pro will remedy this with a Tools | Export Settings command that exports all settings (for all sessions, as well as global settings) to a file. You can then import this file using Tools | Import Settings.

Note that this command exports all settings in the Registry, including the lists of recent file/directory pairs. If you're moving to a different computer, these lists are probably not helpful, so you can clear them by going to Tools | Options | Misc and clicking the Clear button highlighted below: