What is the Text Compare Tool?
The Text Compare Tool (also known as a "diff" tool) is a utility that allows users to compare two blocks of text to find the differences between them. It highlights which lines have been added, which have been removed, and which have remained the same, providing a clear, line-by-line visual comparison.
History of this Feature
"Diff" utilities have been a cornerstone of software development for decades, essential for tracking changes in source code (version control). Online versions of these tools were created to make this functionality accessible to a broader audience without needing command-line knowledge. Our Text Compare tool provides a simple, visual interface for this powerful function, making it useful not just for developers, but for anyone who needs to track revisions in a document.
Who Commonly Uses This Feature?
This tool is heavily used by software developers to compare code files, writers and editors to track revisions between drafts, and legal professionals to compare different versions of a contract. It's also useful for students comparing their notes to a source document or anyone who needs to see exactly what has changed between two similar pieces of text.
How to Use the Text Compare Tool
This tool helps you easily compare two pieces of text to find the differences line by line.
- Paste Your Texts:
- Paste the original or older version of the text into the "Source Text (A)" box.
- Paste the modified or newer version of the text into the "Text to Compare (B)" box.
- Run the Comparison: Click the "Compare Texts" button.
- Review the Results: A results area will appear below, showing you a merged view of the texts.
- Lines highlighted in green were added in Text B.
- Lines highlighted in red were removed from Text A.
- Lines with a white background are common to both texts.
A similarity score is also provided to give you a quick sense of how different the two texts are. This tool is perfect for writers, editors, and developers tracking changes.