Feature request: compare arbitrary revisions

[elrond79]

I was wondering if you folks were planning to add the ability to compare arbitrary revisions for the release.

Essentially, all we want is to add the "Compare Two Files" option that is available from the main window's "Query" menu to the log window's "Query" menu as well (and, ideally, to the right-click menu!)

And, while I'm at it, the

   Log Window -- Query > Compare with Working Tree

option opens up an unnecessary dialog, asking for the file to compare it to - presumably, you always want to compare it the same file in the working tree.  (In fact, the program itself seems to assume this - you can select a different file, and the diff show will be for that file, but the headings for the window will show the same filename for both files).

Overall, I'm excited about finally seeing what looks like a usable GUI for git.  My company is going to be moving to a distributed VCS soon, and we are currently evaulating git vs. mercurial.  For various reasons, git would fit better into our pipeline... but unfortunately, we would require a user-friendly GUI interface to whatever VCS we went with, as not all people here would exactly be comfortable using a command-line interface.  This program could very well fill that gap...

[syntevo Support]

> I was wondering if you folks were planning to add the ability to compare
> arbitrary revisions for the release.
>
> Essentially, all we want is to add the "Compare Two Files" option that is
> available from the main window's "Query" menu to the log window's "Query" menu
> as well (and, ideally, to the right-click menu!)

I've put this on the RFE list. Of course, this only would work for file-logs.

> And, while I'm at it, the
>
>    Log Window -- Query > Compare with Working Tree
>
> option opens up an unnecessary dialog, asking for the file to compare it to -
> presumably, you always want to compare it the same file in the working tree.
> (In fact, the program itself seems to assume this - you can select a different
> file, and the diff show will be for that file, but the headings for the window
> will show the same filename for both files).

Originally, it was working as you suggest, but we got the RFE to allow to
compare a "revision" with a different local file, too, so allowing to specify
the local file seems to be the best solution. Next build will open a small
config dialog allowing not only to change the local file, but also options
whether to compare the previous or new file content. This would make it very
easy to restore an original (aka previous) file content or parts of it.

> Overall, I'm excited about finally seeing what looks like a usable GUI for
> git.  My company is going to be moving to a distributed VCS soon, and we are
> currently evaulating git vs. mercurial.  For various reasons, git would fit
> better into our pipeline... but unfortunately, we would require a
> user-friendly GUI interface to whatever VCS we went with, as not all people
> here would exactly be comfortable using a command-line interface.  This
> program could very well fill that gap...

Thanks for the kind words about SmartGit. :)

--
Best regards,
Thomas Singer
=============
syntevo GmbH
http://www.syntevo.com
http://blog.syntevo.com



"elrond79" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I was wondering if you folks were planning to add the ability to compare
> arbitrary revisions for the release.
>
> Essentially, all we want is to add the "Compare Two Files" option that is
> available from the main window's "Query" menu to the log window's "Query" menu
> as well (and, ideally, to the right-click menu!)
>
> And, while I'm at it, the
>
>    Log Window -- Query > Compare with Working Tree
>
> option opens up an unnecessary dialog, asking for the file to compare it to -
> presumably, you always want to compare it the same file in the working tree.
> (In fact, the program itself seems to assume this - you can select a different
> file, and the diff show will be for that file, but the headings for the window
> will show the same filename for both files).
>
> Overall, I'm excited about finally seeing what looks like a usable GUI for
> git.  My company is going to be moving to a distributed VCS soon, and we are
> currently evaulating git vs. mercurial.  For various reasons, git would fit
> better into our pipeline... but unfortunately, we would require a
> user-friendly GUI interface to whatever VCS we went with, as not all people
> here would exactly be comfortable using a command-line interface.  This
> program could very well fill that gap...
>
>

[elrond79]

> Originally, it was working as you suggest, but we got the RFE to allow
to
> compare a "revision" with a different local file, too, so allowing to
specify
> the local file seems to be the best solution. Next build will open a
small
> config dialog allowing not only to change the local file, but also
options
> whether to compare the previous or new file content. This would make
it very
> easy to restore an original (aka previous) file content or parts of
it.

Hmm... well, a flexible way to compare any revision of any file version
any revision of any other file is a good thing - however, I wonder if
this capability wouldn't be better put within the context of a separate
menu item (say, "Compare two files"... hint, hint)
The common-case scenario, however, is that users selecting an item
called "compare to working" copy will be expecting it to compare the
selected revision of the file to that same file's working copy - and I
think it should do so without an unnecessary extra dialog.
Another idea, if you want ultimate flexibility in comparing different
revisions - implement the "compare two files" option in all windows, and
have it detect the selection across all windows.  So, for instance, I
could select one file in the main (ie, working tree) window, and another
file in a log window, hit "compare two files," and it would compare
them...

- Paul