Notepad++ Compare Two Files: A Guide - Notepad++ (2024)

Introduction

Notepad++ is a popular free text editor used by developers and writers alike. One of its key features is the ability to compare two files. Comparing two files can be useful in a variety of situations, such as when you need to check for changes between two versions of a document, or when you need to merge changes from two different files into one. In this article, we will explore how to use Notepad++ to compare two files in different ways.

Step-by-Step Guide to Compare Two Files

Follow these simple steps to compare two files using Notepad++:

• Open Notepad++ on your computer.
• Click on the “Plugins” menu at the top of the screen.
• Select “Compare” and then click on “Compare” again.
• In the pop-up window, select the two files you want to compare. You can either type in the file names or browse for them using the “Browse” button.
• Once you have selected the two files, click on the “OK” button.
• The compared files will open in two side-by-side windows, with differences highlighted in red.
• You can also use the “Search” and “Filter” options to make it easier to navigate through the compared files.

Additional you can look video instruction bellow:

Notepad++ Compare Two Files Online

Unfortunately, Notepad++ does not have an online version, so it cannot be used to compare files online. However, there are other online tools that can be used to compare files, such as Diffchecker and TextCompare.

Notepad++ Compare Two Files Side by Side

One of the most common ways to compare two files in Notepad++ is to open them side by side. To do this, simply open both files in Notepad++ and select “View” from the menu bar. Then select “View Side by Side” and the two files will be displayed side by side.

Notepad++ Compare Two Files and Save Differences

Another useful feature in Notepad++ is the ability to save the differences between two files. To do this, open both files in Notepad++ and select “Plugins” from the menu bar. Then select “Compare” and choose “Compare” again. This will open a dialog box showing the differences between the two files. To save the differences, select “Export” and choose a file name and location to save the differences.

Notepad++ Compare Two Files Plugin

Notepad++ has a plugin called Compare that can be used to compare two files. To install this plugin, select “Plugins” from the menu bar and select “Plugin Manager”. Then select “Show Plugin Manager” and search for “Compare”. Once you have installed the plugin, you can compare two files by selecting “Plugins” from the menu bar and selecting “Compare” and then “Compare”. This will open a dialog box showing the differences between the two files.

Notepad++ Compare Two Files Command Line

Notepad++ can also be used to compare two files from the command line. To do this, open the command prompt and navigate to the Notepad++ installation directory. Then type “notepad++.exe -compare file1 file2” where file1 and file2 are the names of the files you want to compare. This will open Notepad++ and show the differences between the two files.

Notepad++ Compare Two Files and Merge

Notepad++ also has the ability to merge changes from two different files into one. To do this, open both files in Notepad++ and select “Plugins” from the menu bar. Then select “Compare” and choose “Merge”. This will open a dialog box showing the differences between the two files, and you can choose which changes to keep by selecting the appropriate checkboxes. Once you have made your selections, select “Save” to save the merged file.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Notepad++ is a versatile text editor that can be used to compare and merge changes between two files in several different ways. Whether you prefer to compare files side by side, use a plugin or the command line, or merge changes from two files into one, Notepad++ has a solution for you.