Every now and then, I find a tool that I find useful enough that I want to recommend it to other developers. Beyond Compare is such a tool.

Available as a free trial from Scooter Software, Beyond Compare is “the ideal tool for comparing files and folders on your Windows or Linux system”.

In my current project, I am using TFS for source control and automated builds. When it is time to compare a file with previous versions of its code, the TFS file diff viewer leaves a lot to be desired.

Using a tool such as Beyond Compare, I have more control over performing file-diffs, and resolving conflicts. If you want to change your Visual Studio diff settings, follow the instructions outlined in the following Stack Overflow post:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4466238/how-to-configure-visual-studio-to-use-beyond-compare

Within my own project, I use Beyond Compare when merging code from a forked branch back into the main trunk. It’s very useful, and helps highlight problem areas.

I would highly recommend it! 🙂