xmldiffmrg
Parses, compares, and merges
XML file versions
SYNOPSIS
- Start
the GUI without specifying an operation:
- Parse
one file:
- xmldiffmrg [ –xview ] [ –visible_blank ]
[ pname1 ]
- Compare
files:
- xmldiffmrg –xcompare [ –blank_ignore –visible_blank ]
- [ –hstack |–vstack ]
[ pname1 ... pname7 ]
- Merge
files:
- xmldiffmrg –xmerge [ –out pname | –to to-version ] [ –query | –abort
- | –qall ] [ –encoding { utf-16 | utf-8 | iso-8859-1 | ascii }
]
[ –hstack |–vstack ]
[ –visible_blank ] [ –base base_contributor ]
[ pname1 ... pname7 ]
DESCRIPTION
The xmldiffmrg command
starts a GUI in which you compare and merge versions of XML elements. xmldiffmrg parses
XML, which enables you to do the following:
- Compare
and merge XML structure and content without understanding XML markup.
- Expand,
collapse, browse, and filter the data tree resulting from a comparison or
merge operation.
For general information about comparing
and merging element versions, see Developing Software.
RESTRICTIONS
Identities
For all operations
except creating a merge arrow, no special identity is required. To create
a merge arrow, you must have one of the following identities:
- Element
owner
- Element
group member
- VOB
owner
- Member
of the ClearCase administrators group (ClearCase)
- Local
administrator of the ClearCase LT server host (ClearCase LT)
Locks
An error occurs if
one or more of these objects are locked: VOB, element type, element, branch
type, branch, hyperlink type.
Mastership
(Replicated
VOBs only) No mastership restrictions.
OPTIONS AND ARGUMENTS
Specifying the Operation to Be Performed
- Default
- For a single pname argument, –xview;
for multiple contributors, none.
- –xview
- Parses a single contributor.
- –xcompare
- Compares contributors.
- –xmerge
- Merges contributors.
Treatment of White Space
- Default
- The default behavior differs according to whether the nodes contain
white space only, or both white space and other characters, as follows:
- In
white-space-only nodes, white space is ignored unless there's a difference
in the nodes being compared or merged.
- In
nodes that contain white space and other characters, a white-space character
is treated the same as any other character.
- –visible_blank
- White-space characters are made visible by alternate glyphs representing
the white space.
- –blank_ignore
- Ignores white-space characters in white-space-only nodes. This option
does not affect the comparison of nodes that contain both white space and
other characters.
Contributor Pane Stacking
- Default
- –hstack.
- –hstack
- Each contributor being compared or merged
is displayed in a separate contributor pane that is stacked horizontally (side
by side), with the base contributor on the left.
- –vstack
- Specifies contributor panes are to be
stacked vertically, with the base contributor on top.
Destination of the Merge Output
- Default
- None; the GUI prompts for a destination if none is specified in the
command line.
- –out pname
- Specifies the pathname to which the merge
output is written after all conflicts are resolved. Use this option to perform
a merge that does not overwrite any of its contributors.
- –to to-version
- Specifies the file that is to be the
merge target. to-version is both a contributor
to the merge and the destination of the merged output.
Controlling User Interaction
- Default
- Performs merges as automatically as possible, prompting you to make
a choice only when two or more contributors differ from the base contributor.
- –query
- Changes in the to-version are accepted
unless a conflict exists. Turns off automatic merging for nontrivial merges
and prompts you to proceed with every change in the other contributors.
- –abort
- Cancels the command instead of engaging
in a user interaction; a merge takes place only if it is completely automatic.
If two or more contributors differ from the base contributor, a warning is
issued and the command is canceled. This command is useful in shell scripts
that batch many merges (for example, all file elements in a directory) into
a single procedure.
- –qall
- Turns off automated merging. You are
prompted to make a choice every time a contributor differs from the base contributor.
This option is turned on when xmldiffmrg cannot determine
a common ancestor (or other base contributor), and you do not use –base.
Character Encoding
- Default
- None.
- –encoding { utf-16 | utf-8 | iso-8859-1 | ascii}
- If an output file is generated, use the
specified (case-insensitive) encoding type. The generated output contains
an XML Declaration statement containing the specified encoding attribute if
required. If a character code cannot be represented in the specified encoding,
it is written out as an XML character reference in the form
&xnnnn;
where nnnn is
a hexadecimal character index.
Specifying the Base Contributor
- Default
- pname1.
- –base base_contributor
- Specifies the base contributor; typically,
but not always, this is the closest common ancestor of the contributors.
Specifying the Contributors
- Default
- None; if no contributor is specified on the command line, a dialog box
prompts for contributors.
- pname1 ... pname7
- Specifies the contributors. A maximum
of seven contributors may be specified, inclusive of a contributor specified
by –base.