WinMerge is used to compare and merge two files in a computer. The comparison can be done either at the file level or at the folder level. Once the comparison is done, the differences are presented in a visual text format which is easy to locate and understand. You can move through the highlighted differences using keyboard shortcuts and make changes to one document using the other.
WinMerge is a very useful tool for comparing document versions and for change management. It can be integrated with other applications or can be used as a standalone program. It highlights word-wrap, line numbers and syntax’s of the two files being compared. It also has the facility to detect the lines which are moved in one document as compared to the other.
WinMerge supports all popular versions of Microsoft Windows and also handles the text files in UNIX and Mac format. The comparison of folders has excellent features such as support for filters for inclusion and exclusion of items, option to choose all the subfolders or part of it, fast comparison depending on size of the files and dates and showing the results in a tree structure.
Other features include the interface which can be localized and support for plug-in and archiving. Help facility is provided either online or by using an installed HTML manual.