Comparison History
Overview
Every time you successfully complete a comparison, DeltaWalker Classic automatically records it in its comparison history, so that later you can run it the same way you did the last time.
You already know this kind of history from your web browser. Just as browsers do, DeltaWalker Classic lets you manage its comparison history: you can delete or rename an entry, or edit any of the settings of that comparison.
A comparison history entry holds everything that defines the comparison: the paths or URIs of the compared files or folders, the filters, if any, and all other settings on the comparison’s tab of the Settings window.
The comparison history is tightly connected to two sets of settings: the comparison settings and the settings for new comparisons.
- Comparison settings are the settings of one specific comparison. Changing them has no effect on the settings of other comparisons, nor on the settings for new comparisons. The easiest way to reach a comparison’s settings is to open or activate that comparison, then click the Settings button on the main toolbar; they are on the tab named after the comparison.
- Settings for new comparisons are the settings used when you create a new comparison. A new comparison window gets a snapshot of these settings and makes it its own. They are on the New Comparisons tab of the Settings window, which the toolbar Settings button opens when no comparison is active.
Let’s look at an example:
You launch DeltaWalker Classic, create a new file comparison, and drag and drop a pair of files into it. By default, DeltaWalker Classic shows differences in character case, but you are not interested in them. You tell DeltaWalker Classic to ignore them: click the Settings button on the main toolbar and, on the All Comparisons page of the tab named after the comparison, select Ignore differences in character case. If the files have character case differences, you see the effect of the change immediately. You have just changed the settings of the file comparison you are working on. DeltaWalker Classic saves the change automatically, so the next time you open and run this comparison, the new setting is in effect.
The change has no effect on the settings for new comparisons: the next file comparison you create has Ignore differences in character case cleared. If you want all new comparisons to ignore differences in character case, select Ignore differences in character case on the All Comparisons page of the New Comparisons tab. That change does not affect existing comparisons.
Export/Import
File > History > Export… exports the DeltaWalker Classic comparison history, together with the application settings and the settings for new comparisons. You can later import that history into a DeltaWalker Classic installation on the same or a different computer with File > History > Import….
Opening a Comparison From History
To open a comparison from the history, click the small down-pointing arrow next to the File Comparison 
or the Folder Comparison 
toolbar button. The drop-down lists recent file comparisons or recent folder comparisons, respectively.
The drop-down groups its entries under Today, Yesterday and Earlier, newest first, by the time you last opened them:
Each entry shows the name you gave the comparison or, if you gave it none, the names of the compared items; the paths of the compared items, one above the other, with the parts that differ emphasized; and when you last opened it. The drop-down shows seven entries; scroll for more. It has no Search field: for that, use the lists on the Welcome page or in the Organize History dialog.
- Open an entry. Click it, or use the up and down arrow keys and press Return. If the comparison is already open, DeltaWalker Classic brings it to the front. Press Esc to close the drop-down without opening anything.
- Favorite, remove or rename an entry. Point at it to show three icons: a heart to add it to or remove it from your favorites, one to remove it from the history, and one to rename it. A favorite keeps its heart showing. You can also right-click an entry and choose Rename or Remove from History. Favorites are marked, not moved to the top.
- Manage Comparison History… at the bottom of the drop-down closes it and opens the Organize History dialog, the same as File > History > Organize…. There, Cmd-click and Shift-click select several entries so you can rename or delete them together, and double-clicking an entry opens it.
To remove all entries, choose File > History > Clear….