Data Format Settings:  Conversion

Data Format >  Conversion

The Conversion tab defines how files should be loaded and saved.

Data Compare sessions can compare plain text files, such as comma separated value files, directly.  To compare files with structured or proprietary formats, it may be necessary to first extract the plain text content from the file.  For example, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets are binary files, but Beyond Compare can extract and compare their textual content.  Beyond Compare can highlight differences in words and sentences but cannot identify differences in formatting or embedded images.

Select a Conversion method.  When using the External Program method, you will need to specify a conversion program with the appropriate path and command line switches in the Loading field.  The following variables will be replaced with the indicated information:

%s        source file

%t        target file

%n        original file

%x        original extension, including '.'

If you have a conversion program you want to use before saving, you can unmark the Disable editing checkbox and in the Saving field specify that conversion program's path and command line switches.  The above variables apply.

The Encoding of most text files can be detected automatically, but you can specify a specific code page to use.

The characters per line limit setting will break long lines at the indicated length.  Those artificial line breaks are removed when saving an edited file.

Mark the Ctrl+Z indicates end of file checkbox for if your file type uses the hex value 1A as an EOF marker.