Generating reports

This topic describes how to generate standard and customized reports from a file or folder comparison session.

Generate a difference report:

This section describes how to generate a difference report from File Compare/Merge session. It assumes that you are in a compare/merge session and want to generate a report of your changes before you commit them and close the session.

To generate the report:

  1. Right-click in a File Compare/Merge pane and choose Generate Report to open the Report dialog box.

    Note: If you are in the main or standalone File Compare/Merge window, you can use the Generate Report toolbar button.

  2. Choose a report generator (transformer) from the drop-down list in the Report dialog box.
  3. Optionally, when available, modify the report parameters to customize the report appearance.
  4. Click Next to preview the report.
  5. Click Save and browse to the target location for the report.

    Choose a file extension that is valid for the output type (format) of the transformer you selected, and click Save.

  6. Click Close in the Report dialog box.

Note: To print your report, open it in an appropriate application such as a text editor or a browser, and print.

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Customize compare and merge reports

This section describes how to use customized report transformer. (.xsl stylesheets). You need to understand how to create an .xsl stylesheet to use as a template for creating a report transformer, or you need access to one created by someone else.

To use a custom .xsl transform stylesheet:

  1. Choose Tools > Options in the File Compare/Merge window and expand the File Comparison or Folder Comparison node.
  2. Select the Report Transformers page. For details, see File Compare/Merge options.
  3. Click Add to open the Report Transformer Configuration dialog box.
  4. Type a name for the report transformer, and choose the type of report you want to generate from the Output Type drop-down list.
  5. Click Select XSL Template and browse to your custom .xsl stylesheet

    You can modify the stylesheet in the edit box of the Report Transformer Configuration dialog box. If you do modify the file, click Save XSL Template to save it with an .xsl extension.

  6. Click OK to close the Report Transformer Configuration and return to the File Compare/Merge Options dialog box.

    Your new report transformer is added to the list of available report transformers in the Report dialog box that opens when you generate a report in a View Compare/Merge session.

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