Individual Comparison

This window highlights the differences between the sources of two objects, in the case of objects that contain a source (e.g. macro-instructions, RAD templates, programs, management rules, program templates or classes), or between the definitions of two CDM or LDM objects (e.g. logical entities, conceptual entities, join entities, conceptual properties, relationships or data types).

With CDM and LDM objects, the comparison systematically includes the following associated objects: list of logical properties of a logical entity, list of conceptual properties of a conceptual entity, parent entity of a sub-type entity, list of accesses of a logical entity, join entities, or a list of the IBM logical fields for an access or join. These objects can then also be compared. The associated objects described in the Parameters of a CDM/LDM object comparison box can also be included, although this is optional.

There can be several types of difference between source lines:

• different lines: lines with different content inserted between lines that are identical in the two sources.

• orphan lines: lines found in only one of the sources.

• moved lines: lines found in both sources, but in different places.

The same distinctions apply to CDM/LDM object definitions:

• different values: different values for the same data object (missing data objects are marked as "different").

For associated object lists (e.g. the list of properties of a logical entity):

• different objects: different objects that have the same sequence number or are on the same line if there is no sequence number.

• orphan objects: sequence number included only in a list, associated objects added to one of the lists or an associated object with the same sequence number as an associated object with the "Moved" state in the other list.

• moved objects: identical objects that appear in both lists but have different sequence numbers.

These differences can be identified according to the text and background colors, which can be configured in the Options dialog box.

The workspace comprises:

• a menu bar: Actions, Help,

• a tool bar,

• two frames, each containing the source or the definition of one of the objects being compared.

You can work with the active source via a context-sensitive menu containing some of the options found in the Actions menu.

Displayed data

A header above each source gives the following details:

- environment name,

- object name,

- object type,

- dominant object name (associated objects only).

For the source of an object:

Line numbers are shown in a margin to the left of each source.

For a CDM/LDM object:

A text is shown in a margin to the left of each object. The sequence number of certain associated object lists is shown in this margin.

Lists

Sources or objects compared

The sources or object definitions are displayed side by side. Source scrolling is synchronized, so that identical lines in two sources are always shown opposite each other. Similarly, code that is the same in two CDM/LDM objects is also always shown on the same level.

You can alter how the display area is divided between the two sources or object definitions by moving the separator bar (by clicking and holding the left mouse button then moving the bar).

The active part is the one in which the most recent action was performed (click or selection).

The active line is the last line in the active part to have been affected by:

• • a mouse action (click or selection),

  • a keyboard action (arrow keys or page up/page down keys),

  • the Next difference or Previous difference options.

The active line is marked by a ">" (greater than) symbol in the margin, to the right of the line number, in the case of a source, and to the right of the object's text label in the case of a CDM/LDM object.

Multiple-selection list.

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