Diff/Comparison of file formats others than ASCII/source code?

[Alessandro Bottoni <al...@libero.it>]

I'm still writing my review regarding a few SCMS and from time to 
time a new question arise...

This time the questions regard the file diff/comparison window that most SCMS 
offer to the user as a support for the manual fixing of the collisions in the 
source code base at the moment of a merge or a commit operation.

1) what if I want to diff/compare a RTF or a Word file?

I mean: suppose you are developing a large documentation set for your company 
and you are using AbiWord or MS Word as a WYSIWYG editor (in RTF or DOC mode, 
respectivley). 

Can you bind AbiWord or Word to the SCMS (via CORBA/DCOP or COM/Automation, 
respectively) in order to present to the user the file comparison window in a 
"RTF/DOC aware" WYSIWYG mode?

2) what if I want to diff/compare a HTML or XML file at the representation 
level, not at the code level?

I mean: suppose you are developing a large web site in HTML+CSS+Javascript 
and you are using Mozilla Composer as a WYSIWYG editor. 

Can you bind the Mozilla Gecko rendering engine to the SCMS in order to 
present to the user the file comparison window in a "HTML aware" WYSIWYG mode?

I both cases, I'm sure that most SCMS will be able to manage the RTF, DOC, 
XML and HTML files at the ASCII line or character level. Unfortunately, I'm 
also almost sure that the rendering of the file in the comparison window 
would be only at the "source code" (ASCII) level, not at the human-readable, 
WYSIWYG level. Most likely, the same can be said of every file format other 
than ASCII source code.

Is there any way to create such a "HTML aware "or "RTF aware" file comparison 
mode?

Is there any way to adapt the SCMS to file formats others than ASCII C/C++ 
source code (for example by using an external editor via CORBA, DCOP or 
COM/Automation)?

Many thanks in advance.
-------------------------------
Alessandro Bottoni
alessandro.bottoni@libero.it


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