Comparison Pane
Introduction
The Comparison pane shows the differences between revisions in a version-controlled app. You can compare a selected historical revision to your current working state, or compare any two selected commits. This pane displays three levels of detail: which documents have changed, which elements within those documents have been altered, and which property values now differ.
This feature requires a version-controlled app. For apps without version control, the Comparison pane is disabled.
This feature is similar to the Changes pane, but while the Changes pane shows your local modifications since your last commit, the Comparison pane shows differences between any historical revision and your current state.
For more information on comparing scenarios, refer to Comparing Revisions.
Accessing the Comparison Pane and Version Compatibility
You can start a comparison in the following ways:
To compare a revision to your current state, do the following:
- Open the History pane by clicking View > History.
- Right-click a revision from the list.
- Select Compare to current state.
The Comparison pane opens and shows all differences between the selected revision and your current working state, including any uncommitted changes.
To compare any two commits, do the following:
- Open the History pane by clicking View > History.
- Select the first commit in the list.
- Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Cmd (Mac), and select the second commit.
- Open the Compare dropdown and select Compare revisions (2/2 selected), or right-click a selected row, point to Compare..., and select Compare revisions (2/2 selected).
The Comparison pane opens and shows all differences between the two selected commits. The compare options are unavailable until exactly two commits are selected.
Comparison Pane Overview
The Comparison pane shows information at three levels:
- Level 1 – a list of all documents that differ between the two revisions
- Level 2 – all elements within a selected document that have changed
- Level 3 – the specific property values that differ for a selected element
Navigate between levels by double-clicking a row or clicking Go to. Press Backspace or click Back to return to the previous level.
Unversioned App State
If your app does not have version control enabled, all buttons in the Comparison pane are disabled and a message indicates that version control is required.
Level 1: Document List
Level 1 displays all documents that differ between the selected revision and your current state.
Task Bar
The task bar contains the following buttons:
| Button | Action | When Enabled |
|---|---|---|
| Back | Returns to the previous level | Always disabled at Level 1 (to prevent layout shift) |
| Go to | Opens the selected document and navigates to Level 2 or 3 | Enabled when a document is selected |
| Stop comparison | Closes the comparison and returns to the blank state | Always enabled during an active comparison |
Search Box
The task bar contains a search box that filters the document list. The search box is only available at Level 1 and is hidden at Level 2 and Level 3. When no comparison is active, the search box is disabled.
The search matches text against all four columns (Status, Document name, Module name, and Details). The match is case-insensitive and applies to any position within the field values.
Context Menu
Right-click any cell in the grid to access the Copy option, which copies the cell value to your clipboard. For microflows and workflows, the context menu also contains the View option, which opens a specific version of the document. For more information, see the Document Types with Read-Only Versions section below.
Grid Columns
The document list grid contains the following columns:
| Column | Description | Elements It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Status | The type of change | An icon and label indicating whether the document was Added, Modified, or Deleted |
| Item | The document name | The name of the changed document (for example, a page, a microflow, or a domain model) |
| Module | The module location | The module that contains the document |
Status Types
The Status column shows one of the following types:
| Status | Icon | Meaning | When It Appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Added | Green circle | A new document was created | The document exists in the current state but not in the selected revision |
| Modified | Yellow circle | Changes were made to an existing document | The document exists in both revisions but has differences |
| Deleted | Red circle with minus | A document was removed | The document existed in the selected revision but not in the current state |
Level 2 and 3: Element and Property Differences
Double-click a document in Level 1 to navigate to Level 2 and Level 3, which appear side by side. Level 2 shows changed elements, and Level 3 shows the property differences for the selected element.
Task Bar
The task bar at Level 2 and 3 contains the following buttons:
| Button | Action | When Enabled |
|---|---|---|
| Back | Returns to Level 1 | Always enabled |
| Go to | Focuses on the selected element in the document | Enabled when an element is selected; for deleted elements, enabled only in microflows and workflows (for more information, see Opening Documents) |
| Expand all | Expands all collapsed property tree rows in Level 3 | Always enabled when viewing Level 3 |
| Collapse all | Collapses all expanded property tree rows in Level 3 | Always enabled when viewing Level 3 |
| Stop comparison | Closes the comparison and returns to the blank state | Always enabled during an active comparison |
Context Menu
Right-click any cell in either the Level 2 or Level 3 grid to access the Copy option.
Level 2 Grid
The Level 2 grid shows all changed elements within the selected document:
| Column | Description | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Status | The type of change | An icon and label indicating whether the element was added, modified, or deleted |
| Item | The element name | The name of the changed element (for example, a widget, entity, or activity) |
Hover over any cell to see the full value in a tooltip.
Level 3 Grid
The Level 3 grid shows the property-level differences for the element selected in Level 2:
| Column | Description | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Property | The property name | The name of the property that changed, shown as a tree structure |
| Older | The value in the selected revision | The property value as it was in the historical revision |
| Newer | The value in the current state | The property value as it is in your current working state |
Property paths are consolidated into a tree view. Grey rows represent intermediate path levels that do not have a direct value. The row order reflects the top-to-bottom, left-to-right order that the corresponding components appear in their dialog boxes.
Opening Documents
When you click Go to or double-click a document in Level 1 or an element in Level 2, the document opens in the editor. The version that opens depends on the document type, the status of the document, and the type of comparison.
Document Types with Read-Only Versions
For the following document types, you can open the version of the document from a specific revision:
- Microflows
- Workflows
- Nanoflows
- Domain model
These versions open in a separate tab in read-only mode. You cannot edit the document or its properties. The tab indicates whether it shows the Older or Newer version. Read-only tabs close when you stop the comparison.
The table below shows which version opens when you click Go to or double-click a document:
| Status | Compare to Current State | Compare Revisions |
|---|---|---|
| Added | The current version opens in edit mode | The version from the newer revision opens in read-only mode |
| Modified | The current version opens in edit mode | The version from the newer revision opens in read-only mode |
| Deleted | The version from the selected revision opens in read-only mode | The version from the older revision opens in read-only mode |
To open a specific version, right-click a document in Level 1, select View, and then select one of the following options:
| Option | What Opens | Available For |
|---|---|---|
| Older | The version from the older revision, in read-only mode | Modified and deleted documents |
| Newer | The version from the newer revision, in read-only mode | Added and modified documents, when comparing two revisions |
| Current | The document as it is in your app now, in edit mode | Added and modified documents |
Other Document Types
For all other document types, the document opens as it currently exists in your app, regardless of the type of comparison. If the document no longer exists in your app (for example, because it was deleted), a message says so and nothing opens.
Files and Text-Based Properties
For text-based properties, double-click a property row or use the context menu to open a detailed side-by-side comparison in the File Differences Viewer. For modified file-type documents in Level 1, double-click the document or click Go to to open the File Differences Viewer instead of a document editor. You cannot open added or deleted files.
Refresh Behavior
When you are comparing a revision to your current state and save changes to your app, a Refresh button appears in the Comparison pane. Click Refresh to update the comparison with your latest saved changes.
Stopping a Comparison
Click Stop comparison to close the comparison. This action closes the Comparison pane and returns it to a blank state. Documents that were open in their current version remain open in the editor. The pane closes read-only versions.
In the blank state, the Comparison pane displays a message with a link to start a new comparison. The Go to and Stop comparison buttons are disabled until a new comparison is started.