Compare data

There are two ways to compare data:

• The Compare data function from the Extras menu enables you to compare different data lists, for example DQL query results with other DQL query results or with imported data lists.

• The Object Compare List enables you to add single objects of any type, from any repository. These objects are compared attribute by attribute and you can modify them directly in the list.

The „Compare Data“ Function

This function is only available if at least two different data lists are open. These can be results from DQL queries from any repository or imported data lists. The assistant is described in the following sections:

Settings

First, select the two different data lists to compare from the dropdown menus. Subsequently, the comparison function is determined. The following functions are available:

Function	What It Does
Search for identical records	Searches for identical records in both lists.
Search for missing records	Searches for missing records in both lists.
Search for different records	Searches for records that are joined by one or more columns but differ in other attributes.

You can customize the comparison using the options Compare case sensitive (which compares case sensitive occurrences) and Compare exact order of repeating attributes (repeating attributes can have the same values, but in different order).

Data Columns

The two data lists must allow correlation of the data records. At least one column of the source data list must be joined to one column of the target data list. These operations are performed in the second page of the assistant.

To join to columns, select the columns in both lists and click the button Join or drag-and-drop the desired columns onto the opposite list. To delete a join, use the context menu of the Selected Columns grid.

Selecting Search for different records causes the comparable columns to be defined additionally, which you can do using the Compare button or by pressing the Ctrl during the drag-and-drop of one column onto the opposite list.

The search is then performed for objects that can be joined by all Joins to columns, but that differ in the Compare to columns.

Results

The results of the comparison are displayed on the last page.

The number of found data records can differ for both lists, since the criteria can be fulfilled by more than one data record.

Work with Marked Records

The result of the compare operation are displayed in the corresponding data lists. All found records are marked as such. If the function Search for different records was executed, the rows with differences are highlighted.

The marks remain until either a new DQL query is executed in the session window, a new data compare is run or the marks are removed manually using the respective function from the context menu.

You can process marked records as a group, similarly as selected data records. Object functions, export functions and the Script Generator support marked records.

To execute a function for all marked records, you must select exactly ONE cell of any marked record and start the function. Selecting more than one cell or an unmarked cell causes the function to be be executed for the selected objects/cells only.

If the compare is executed using the Search for identical records or Search for different records functions, the rows in the two grids are linked to each other. Use center mouse click on a marked record in one list to scroll the other list to the corresponding record.

If more than one record from one list is linked to a single record in the other list, repeated mouse clicks on the single record will loop through all linked records successively.

If a Search for different records is executed, the function Add to Compare List will add the selected object and all the corresponding objects to the Object Compare List in one go if only one object is selected. The Object Compare List will be cleared first.

The Object Compare List

In the Object Compare List you can add single objects of any type, from any repository, for example a dm_acl object from repository A could be compared with a dm_cabinet object from repository B.

Tp add objects from the DQL query result list, call the Add to Compare List function from the context menu. There can be only one Object Compare list. All objects will be added to the same list which is automatically created when the first object is added. Closing the list removes all objects.

The attributes are aligned vertically. The object in the first column is the master object. All other objects are compared to the master object and differences are highlighted. Differences in single values of repeating attributes are displayed in red font color.

To change the master object, drag the new master object to the first column. If different object types are compared, attributes that are invalid for the object type remain grey and empty.

You can refresh the values of a column and also delete a column.

The context menu of the list offers additional functionalities, as follows:

Functionality	What It Does
Edit	You can modify the values directly inside the table. A change is stored only after pressing Enter. You can modify repeating attributes inside a small sub-grid, which provides its own context menu for inserting, deleting or reordering values of the repeating attribute.
Copy	Copies all selected cells into the clipboard.
Dump Object	Dumps any valid object ID in the selected cell.
Goto…:	Searches for attributes in the list.
Show Attributes	All: Displays all attributes of all object types in the list. Master: Displays all attributes of the master object. Type specific: Displays type specific attributes of the master object type only. Identical values: Displays all attributes with identical values in every column. Different values: Displays all attributes with a different value in any column.
Compare settings	Compare case sensitive: Compares case sensitive. Exact order of repeating attributes: Repeating attributes can have the same values, but in different order.
Order Attributes by	Name: Sorts attributes by name Category: Sorts attributes by category, such as an object dump Not sorted: Attributes are displayed in content server generated order.
Synchronize with master	This functions enables you to copy values from the master object to compared objects. If any range of values is selected within the area of compared objects, all selected attributes (lines) will be copied to all selected objects (columns) of the list.

Normally, you can only add one instance of an object to the list. If an object is sent to the list a second time, the list entry is updated without adding the object a second time.

Sometimes it is useful to follow the changes of an object throughout its process. Therefore, you can freeze an object by clicking the button in the header of the object.

You cannot update or modify frozen objects.

Additionally, the i_vstamp value is displayed in the header.