The "Compare" option does not shows when working in folder view

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Open a folder
2. Select 2 files
3. Right click them
4. Notice that the "Compare" options is missing

Expected behavior
The "Compare" option should be displayed

Screenshots

Describe the bug

I opened the SQL Solution for WorldWideImporters and selected two files to compare, then from the context menu chose compare selected files. Nothing happened (and the files are completely different) No result displayed

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Open WorldWideImporters solution
2. In Solution Explorer, select two files
3. From the context menu, select "Compare selected files"
4. Nothing happens, no results shown, even though files are completely different

Expected behavior
Expect files to be compared and results displayed

Screenshots
If applicable, add screenshots to help explain your problem.

Additional context
Add any other context about the problem here.

I'm probably missing something stupid, but I can't seem to fix the changes between files.

Describe the bug
I am trying to fix a file with the difference of another file. But, it doesn't work. It seems the files are read-only or something?!?

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Choose two files in the Solution explorer
2. Right mouse click, choose Compare/Selected Files
3. Go to a difference
4. Try to fix the file.

Expected behavior
Being able to 'copy/synchronize' the lines of the compared files.

Screenshots

Additional context
The file on the right side is editable, but the file on the left seems 'read-only'?!?

Edit:
I now see what may be the bug:
The file on the left side is not the file I chose, but it seems to be a 'copy'?

Name of the original file I selected : CGrid_ByDate.cpp
Name of the file in compare window : CGrid_ByDate - Copy.cpp

Awesome

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio:
  -- Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2019
  -- Version 16.0.1
  -- VisualStudio.16.Release/16.0.1+28803.156
• This extension: 1.4.25

Description

Right-clicking a file in sln explr and choosing "Compare Files..."

Steps to recreate

1. Load sln
2. Right-click a file in sln explr and choose "Compare Files..."

Current vs Expected behavior

Seems to open a File Dialog, whereas I'd expect it does nothing and then lets me choose the next file to compare against.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2015 Community
• This extension: 1.1.5

Description

The menu item should only show up in the context menu if no more than 2 files are selected. It would also be good to see an example on how to do this.

Current behavior

Currently it diffs the first 2 selected files.

Expected behavior

The menu item should only show up in the context menu if no more than 2 files are selected.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2019 community
• This extension: File_Differ_v2.0.28

Description

Comparing a file outside of the solution explorer makes it so that the compared file inside the solution explorer ends up uneditable.

Steps to recreate

Say I want to compare a file in my solution with a file in my downloads folder. I would right click on the file in the solution explorer and choose "Compare Files". Which brings up a file selection dialog and I would select the other file in my downloads folder.

Current behavior

The problem is, the file OUTSIDE of the solution ends up the right pane (editable) whereas the file INSIDE of the solution ends up on the left (uneditable).

Expected behavior

If I am comparing two files, one inside the solution the other outside the solution; the file inside the solution should be the one given the editable pane.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2015 Enterprise
• This extension: 1.4.24

Description

When comparing with external file, show the path (full or ellipsed) of the external file and the name of the local file.

Steps to recreate

1. Select a file in solution explorer
2. Select another file in the file open dialog

Current behavior

The solution file will be on the left pane with the name FileName - copy.cs and the external file in the right pane with the name FileName.cs.

Expected behavior

Like when comparing a file with one of its source control versions, the solution file should be on the right pane with its name unmodified and the first top combo box showing the project it belongs to and the external file should be on the left pane.

For a long time I've been using a tool called WinMerge that does similar thing: comparing files. What's very nice about this tool is the ability to move between differences using Alt+Up/Down. Also you can copy the line with the difference to left/right using Alt+Left/Right correspondingly. This I find very useful if you want to merge your changes into another file. You don't have to do select > copy > select in other panel > paste. Just Alt+Left and the entire difference i copied from right panel to left.

For some reason VS does not provide this functionality. And I'm not sure if it's possible to do that in the extension, but I would really love it.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2015 Enterprise Update 2
• This extension: 1.3

Description

In addition to plain diff view, it would be handy to have the capability to view the diff in markdown-friendly git/gist-able format (with + and - signs).

This will make the diff readily shareable on git or gist (e.g. with diff language tag in markdown).

- TODO: display hello world
+ Display( "Hello World" )

The README.md should reference to this video.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2022 Professional
• This extension: 2.0.28

Description

Current implementation is checking registry for a custom tool but this registry doesn't exist probably from version Visual Studio 2019. Probably this needs to re implemented using/checking for the tool in the global C:\Users\username.gitconfig or any other option?

Steps to recreate

1. Try to compare by your custom tool

Current behavior

Compare files is using default Visual Studio comparison tool and it seems there is no way to set the custom tool (unless manual entry to registry folder)

Expected behavior

The external/custom tool should open

I love this. Thanks for building it!

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: [example 2015 Professional]
• This extension: [example 1.1.21]

Description

Replace this text with a short description

Steps to recreate

1. Replace this
2. text with
3. the steps
4. to recreate

Current behavior

Explain what it's doing and why it's wrong

Expected behavior

Explain what it should be doing after it's fixed.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: [example 2015 Professional]
• This extension: [example 1.1.21]

Description

Replace this text with a short description

Steps to recreate

1. Replace this
2. text with
3. the steps
4. to recreate

Current behavior

Explain what it's doing and why it's wrong

Expected behavior

Explain what it should be doing after it's fixed.

I'm not sure whether this is a bug or not but I am trying to compare two files from different projects that contain similar code so that I can copy features between them. Unfortunately the editors are read only while I am comparing the files. Is this by design or is it just not implemented yet?

Dude fix it!

I am missing the command when selecting two files in different project inside the same solution.

It would be a very useful feature.

Comparing files are great, but how about comparing selected regions from two files? Or pasted text?

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 16.7.3
• This extension: latest from Marketplace

i followed your video and every thing working well in debug mode
after i installed my extension nothing working
the extension work only in debug mode on the isolated visual studio
i am using visual studio 2017
and also on voyer it ask me for 'Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools.15.9.3035' but this version not existing on the internet
please help

Describe the bug
I copy some codes to clipboard and then I select code to find dif with it. The code in clipboard will show in the right box but the comment that I write with THAI language show ???????

Screenshots
If applicable, add screenshots to help explain your problem.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2017 Enterprise 15.4.5
• This extension: 1.4.24

Description

I want to compare/diff two files that I have saved on my desktop, but I can't see any menu item to compare two files - only the Solution explorer context-menu option to compare a solution item with another file.

Expected behavior

I'd like to see a "Compare files..." option on the main Visual Studio File or Tools menu which would open two Open File Dialog prompts to select the two files to compare.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2017 Community (RC 4)
• This extension: v1.4.24

Description

With VS2017 the ability has been added to work from a folder on disk without creating a VS solution.
Currently FileDiffer isn't working in these situations.

Steps to recreate

1. In Visual Studio 2017
2. From the File menu or Start Page choose: Open folder
3. Open a folder containing your source.
4. Right-click a source file in the Solution Explorer.

Current behaviour

No FileDiffer option available in the context menu.

Expected behaviour

Since VS now supports folder based projects, I expected this tool to be usable.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2022 Professional 17.3, but it shouldn't matter
• This extension: 2.0.28, but it shouldn't matter

Description

The Release Notes links from the VS Extension Manager and info page on VS Marketplace lead to 404 page

Steps to recreate

1. Open VS Extension Manager -> Marketplace
2. Find File Differ
3. Click "Release Notes"
4. GitHub 404 page is displayed

Another way - from site

1. Open VS Marketplace page for File Differ
2. Click changelog link
3. GitHub 404 page is displayed

Current behavior

Changelog link doesn't lead to changelog, but 404

Expected behavior

Changelog link should lead to changelog, or it should be removed, or any other reasonable non-404 solution

I'm just after a straightforward "Compare any 2 files, even those not in source control, history, solution explorer, just two files" - and I hate having to open WinDiff (with its Hot Dog Stand color scheme).

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2015 community
• This extension: 1.4.24

Description

After installing the extension and restarting VS it works fine. When i close down VS and open it another time, the option in the right click context menu is gone. When going to extensions, the extension is still there and it has to be uninstalled and installed again for it to work again.

Steps to recreate

1. install
2. close VS
3. open VS
4. close VS
5. open VS

Current behavior

right click context menu to compare files dissappears

Expected behavior

n.a.

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: Community 2015 Update 2
• This extension: 1.0.1

Description

Can select the files but not compare

Steps to recreate

1. I don't know

Current behavior

It is showing up a MessageBox telling a error. When i clicked "Compare Filed..."

Expected behavior

it should open the diff view

Installed product versions

• Visual Studio: 2015 Community
• This extension: 1.0.1

Description

Select any file from disk to compare, not only files part of the solution.

Steps to recreate

1. Select a single file in Solution Explorer
2. Right-click and select Compare Files...

Current behavior

Nothing happens

Expected behavior

An option to select what file to compare to

And its title is "File Name - copy.cs"

Any way to get left file editable ?