To merge two files into a single file

  1. Choose Tools > Merge Files...
    An EditMerge dialog box appears. In the File1 field, enter the first version of the file. If you specify a file which you are currently editing and you do not enter a version number, File1 will be the copy of the file with your current (unsaved) edits. This is useful if someone else has edited the file at the same time you were working on it.
  2. In the File2 field, enter the second version of the file. If you specify a file which you are currently editing and you do not enter a version number, File1 will be the last saved copy of the file.
  3. Deselect Automatic.
  4. Click Merge.

A window appears for each file you specified, as well as an extra window for the results of the merge. To identify which file is in a window, look at the title bar at the top of the window.

  1. Use the Merge window to select what gets placed in the merged file.

The Editor pauses at each point where the two files are different, and highlights the text that differs. Using the Control Panel, you can select which one of the highlighted sections, or both, to copy into the results window. You can also manually cut and paste text into the results window. Listed below are the features of the results window:

Skip

The Editor finds the next difference.

Help

Invokes help on the control panel.

Cancel

Aborts the merge, closing all merger windows.

File1

Copies the selected text from File1.

File2

Copies the selected text from File2.

Both

The first time you press this button, a dialog box appears asking you how you want to merge the two selections: in what order, with change bars around them, with comments in front, between, or after them, and so forth. The next time you press this button, the last values entered are used.

Change Bars...

Changes the way the Both button works, and invokes the same dialog box as the first time you press the Both button.

When merging is complete, the windows on the original files are removed and a dialog box allows you to save the results window. If you save it as the same name as one of the original files, then any windows still looking at that file are replaced with the merged results. After saving, the results window is removed.

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