Comparing Two Files in the IDE

  1. In the Explorer, select two files.

    Control-click on the second file to select it.

  2. Right-click and choose Tools and choose Diff from the contextual menu.
  3. In the Visualizer combo box, select how to view the differences:
  4. In the Engine combo box, select a diff engine:
  5. To close the Diff Viewer pane and return to the Source Editor, right-click the Diff Viewer's tab at the bottom of the pane and choose Close from the contextual menu.

Configuring the Diff Viewer

You can change the diff settings in the Options window.

To change your diff settings:

  1. Choose Tools and choose Options.
  2. In the Options window, expand IDE Configuration and expand  Server and External Tools Settings.
  3. See the Diff Settings node to set your default diff engine and default diff visualizer.

    Expand the Diff and Merge Types node to set:

See also
Comparing File Revisions Visually

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