It also supports PowerPoint and HTML files.Ĭomparing two documents usually requires hours of effort, but Merge 2009 makes the job a breeze. Merge supports native Word and Excel formats (including the latest 2008 versions), OpenDocument 1.2, Adobe PDF, and Rich Text Format. Or you can copy and paste text into the windows-the quick method. When you find differences between files, you have a few options-you can just type in text to correct one of the documents, or you can merge changes from one document to another by clicking a small merge button next to each highlighted comparison. I tested a series of HTML sites and found several code problems: in one older HTML file, a navigation bar pointed to the wrong HTML file, and an image link was spelled wrong. (Currently, Merge only allows you to see that the images are different, but not to make corrections.) For developers, comparing code changes becomes easy and intuitive, as opposed to very complex, frustrating, and time-consuming.ĭevelopers can see differences between lines of code in XML and HTML files. There’s even a way to see minor differences between two images by inspecting the binary code. Or a journalist who has several drafts of an article can see the changes between document versions. The professional edition I tested actually lets you compare three files or folders, while the standard edition lets you compare two.įor example, if a law firm needs to compare the historical record of a document to a newly updated file, a clerk can quickly see the differences between the files via color coding. You can then merge one file into the other if you choose. The name is a slight misnomer: its purpose is to check the contents of two files and reveal the differences between them.

But Araxis Merge 2009, a powerful file comparison utility, can get you out of a tight spot at work. ICal ( ) helps you stay on time for meetings. Very few applications are in the “save your job” category.

Araxis merge pro