Are there any n-way diff tools with vertical compare?

Question

I started using diffuse, which you can use to compare multiple files together with, but it's some what useless since you can't horizontally compare lines when you have like 20 files you need to compare together, I was thinking maybe one line from all twenty files displayed horizontally.

Answer 1

The editor Vim can do what you are asking. It's a traditionally UNIX program that has been ported to nearly every operating system under the sun, and it's free - yay. In gVim:

1. Open file A
2. Choose File -> Split Diff with... and select file B
3. Choose File -> Split Diff with... and select file C

etc.

Answer 2

Although it's lame, here is what I have reverted to as a quick and dirty solution:

I set a variable called number to the line I want to compare:

set number=10

I wrote the following batch file and installed GNU Utilities:

head -n %number% approval.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo approval.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% checkout.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo checkout.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% confirmation.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo confirmation.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% edit_imprint.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo edit_imprint.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% history.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo history.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% home.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo home.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% imprint.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo imprint.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% mixed.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo mixed.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% office.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo office.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% payment.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo payment.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% report_cat.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo report_cat.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% review.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo review.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% settings.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo settings.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% shopping_cart.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo shopping_cart.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% stock.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo stock.htm >> compare%number%.file

head -n %number% warehouse.htm | tail -n 1 >> compare%number%.file
echo warehouse.htm >> compare%number%.file

And the resulting file compare10.file has all of the comparisons in it to be viewed vertically. It's lame but it works.