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Sharon
VP-CART Super User
357 Posts |
 Posted - March 03 2010 : 07:11:29
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When support sort out issues (on a frequent basis for me and usually my fault) I would find it very helpful if they gave a list of the files that were changed.
Yes I know I can find the latest changed files etc. but I do like a note of these things so that I can be a little more methodical and not overwrite support changes by hitting a button too quickly.
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devshb
Senior Member
United Kingdom
1904 Posts |
Posted - March 03 2010 : 08:13:57
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I'd definitely recommend getting some dedicated ftp software which compares files/folders visibly and easily, I use BeyondCompare by:
http://www.scootersoftware.com
It's got a free trial period, and then if you like it after the trial runs out you can get it pretty cheaply ($30 at the moment)
I used to use "normal" ftp software years ago, but after a while the comparison aspect become increasingly important. It took me a while to get used to how BeyondCompare works, but once I'd started using it I found it was fantastic and did everything I needed to do.
That way you won't need to manually look at datestamps or filesizes, you can just open up the ftp window and see which files/folders are blue/red etc.
My advice would be to download the trial version of beyondcompare, setup your ftp profile in it for your site, and get a feel for how it works; give it a few days for you to get used to it; it looks different to a lot of other ftp's but once you get used to it it's fantastic.
ie want to see what's changed on your site? just press f5 to refresh your beyondcompare window and see if there's anything red/blue; saves oodles of time and saves lots of accidental overwriting etc.
Always refresh your beyondcompare window before making changes, and if the file's blue/red then you'd download/upload before changing.
quick tip; if your site's on a unix or linux server then make sure you use an ftp transfer-mode of binary rather than automatic otherwise you'll strip out newline characters and garble the asp files when uploading/downloading (unix/linux users might have already noticed that their files seem to magically change their size when uploading/downloading, and that's why it happens; ftp'ing in automatic mode on unix/linux servers corrupts the files, only binary transfer mode will retain the true contents of the file on unix/linux for some reason)
Also, on the subject of comparing files, there's load of software to compare 2 sets of files on your pc and show the differences (ie to check patches or to see if there a customisations compared to the original files etc), some free and some paid, I've tried loads of them and settled on:
http://www.prestosoft.com/ps.asp?page=edp_examdiffpro
which compares not just files but entire folders; color-coded in a similar way to beyond compare's ftp comparison except that the examdiff is geared towards showing you the actual differences rather than just highlighting when something's different.
Simon Barnaby
Developer
[email protected]
www.BigYellowZone.com
www.BigYellowKey.com
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bigyellowzone
Web Design, Online Marketing and VPASP addons |
Edited by - devshb on March 03 2010 09:47:23 |
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Sharon
VP-CART Super User
357 Posts |
Posted - March 03 2010 : 11:19:32
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| Thanks Simon. I already use WinMerge and Dreamweaver is set to use that too. It's when you're looking at multiple files and folders that things get tedious. I'll definitely be looking at BeyondCompare. $30 is nothing compared to the problems I can create for myself. |
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support
Administrator
4372 Posts |
Posted - March 03 2010 : 11:27:55
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Hello Sharon,
Thank you for your input on this. We will certainly keep this in mind when we update any files in the future.
Regards,
Frank Taslim
VP-ASP |
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support
Administrator
4372 Posts |
Posted - March 03 2010 : 20:55:40
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Hi Sharon,
Not sure if you knew but WinMerge allows you to compare entire folders and will go through every file and list them all out for you.
I will have to have a look at Simon's suggestion as well.
Thanks
Cam
VPASP Support |
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Sharon
VP-CART Super User
357 Posts |
Posted - March 04 2010 : 06:07:20
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quote:
Originally posted by support
Not sure if you knew but WinMerge allows you to compare entire folders and will go through every file and list them all out for you.
Thanks Cam
Can WinMerge compare remote v local folders? |
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LisaGriff
VP-CART New User
USA
90 Posts |
Posted - March 04 2010 : 14:11:11
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Another good program is Ultra Compare. It does compare remote v local folders too. They also have an excellent program for editing files called Ultra Edit and prices are quite reasonable with free trials. I have been using the two programs for about 4 years now. The company is constantly enhancing and adding new features. http://www.ultraedit.com
Lisa |
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