Diff/comparison tools for TFS/VS [closed]

Question

Merging conflicting code could be a nightmare, especially for formatted plain text files e.g. XML. The merging tool, WinDiff, that came with a Visual Studio really doesn't cut it for a even slightly more complicated difference.

It is pleasant to find that VS supports 3rd party comparison tools. I wonder which ones should I consider for a corporate?

I came across the comparison page in wikipeiad, but the comparison is based on some documented features. Whereas I want to compare the intelligence of the algorithms.

So far, I have found the following ones (feel free to add more relevant ones).

• WinMerge
• DiffMerge
• Beyond Compare
• KDiff3
• Compare It

Please share your experience using comparison tools. Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm using Araxis Merge Professional and i absolutely love it. It allows 3-Way merges in a way that you have Server Version, Client Version and the resulting merged Version in case of Source Control Conflicts for example. It's powerful because of tons of configuration options, pretty fast and a very well designed User Interface.

Good overview can be found here: Araxis Merge

Guide for integrating Araxis Merge with Visual Studio can be found here: Araxis Merge - Visual Studio Integration