How set specific file extensions to be compared as text files? (solved)

UltraUser1 · Oct 09, 2018#12018-10-09T17:58+00:00

We have text files with extension .DAT. Every time I highlight multiple .DAT files and run a compare, UC performs a Binary (fast) compare, not a Text compare. In UE I see the Configuration > File Types option to set certain file extensions to be interpreted specific ways, but I cannot find a similar option in UC. I have searched forums and the Internet but have found no answers. How can I configure UC to perform a Text compare on files with specific extensions? As an extension to this question, how do I configure UC to perform a specific type of compare with whatever extension I specify? Thanks in advance!

Version info: Windows 10 (64-bit), UC 16.00.0.27

Mofi · Oct 10, 2018#22018-10-10T06:13+00:00

In UltraCompare for Windows v18.10.0.38 start a new text comparison session, load two *.dat files and compare them.

In ribbon mode click next on second ribbon tab Home in last ribbon group Configure on last but one item Set mode per extension....

In toolbar/menu mode click next in menu Options on menu item Set mode per extension....

Text files is already selected and Active frame extension contains *.dat. Click on button Add from Frame to add the file extension and set text comparison as default. In case of file extension *.dat is already in the list, click on button Edit and change the file type to Text file. The description can be also edited in this small dialog window. With the button Add a file extension, the file type (= comparison mode) and the description of any file can be set without first running an appropriate text or binary comparison.

UltraUser1 · Dec 20, 2018#32018-12-20T22:58+00:00

Mofi,

Thanks for your reply. I followed your suggestions starting with running the compare as you described. When in ribbon mode, I don't know what you meant by the "second ribbon tab Home" (shows up as the first ribbon tab in my UC version - 16.00.0.27), but guessed you meant to indicate to click the Home tab, then go to the Configure group. I do not see Set mode per extension.

So I then changed to toolbar/menu mode, clicked Options and didn't see Set mode per extension. However, under Options, I did find the menu item Specify Extensions. From there your guidance in the paragraph starting with Text files matched the contents of the windows displayed in my UC version. UC now recognizes and compares .dat extensions as text files.

You helped get this issue resolved for me. Appreciate you sharing your expertise.

Mofi · Dec 21, 2018#42018-12-21T08:21+00:00

I count File being displayed in ribbon mode left to the ribbon tabs similar to a tab also as ribbon tab although being not really a ribbon tab, but also not a classic menu.

Sorry, for overlooking that you are using UC v16.00.0.27. I used UC v18.10 on writing my post which has items on ribbon tabs and in menus which UC v16.00 does not have. I restored temporarily UC v16.00 from my archives and started this older version of UltraCompare Professional. It is right that specifying the compare mode for extensions is not possible in ribbon mode in UC v16.00. It is necessary in UC v16.00 to click with right mouse button on a ribbon tab and left click in opened context menu on Toolbar/Menu Mode to switch to this user interface mode. Then there is indeed in menu Options the menu item Specify Extensions... to configure which file types according to file extension should be compared as text and which as binary files. After this configuration is made switching back to ribbon mode can be performed by right clicking on any menu and clicking in context menu on Ribbon Mode if this mode is preferred by the user of UltraCompare.