DiffEngineX is a desktop software application that reports on the differences between two Microsoft Excel workbooks. It not only compares the spreadsheet cells, but also the Excel defined names, comments and embedded VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macros. You have a choice between comparing formulae or their calculated values.

DiffEngineX generates three reports. One is a cell-by-cell listing of workbook differences. The other two are color highlighted copies of the two spreadsheets you are comparing. Color is used to highlight differences. There is an option to hide matching rows on the color highlighted copies, leaving just the differing rows behind. This allows you to easily and quickly see all the differences highlighted in color without having to scroll through large numbers of identical rows. Note: DiffEngineX never modifies your workbooks – it creates copies and colors those instead.

Often new rows and columns are inserted in a spreadsheet. This can confuse a straightforward difference analysis. DiffEngineX can align similar rows and columns between Excel workbooks. DiffEngineX can compare database data imported into Excel, on the proviso that the rows are in sorted order. Excel has functionality under its Data tab to sort rows.

DiffEngineX has several options to ignore small numeric values and whitespace.

It is fast, well-tested and scalable software with a large user-base grown over many years.

It can be invoked without its user interface using command line arguments. It can be automated from .bat, .cmd files and the Windows Command Prompt. If your software development environment supports invoking .exes as external processes and supplying command line arguments, DiffEngineX can be called from software.

 

Color highlighted Excel differences

 

DiffEngineX has two options to allow you to see the differences between Excel workbook cells (formulae and strings), comments and names at the level of individual characters. Most compare utilities just highlight differing cells. DiffEngineX highlights differences at the character level using the color red.

The first option is “Highlight Character Level Differences” on the main part of the user interface. If this is checked, then DiffEngineX will highlight character level differences on the automatically generated workbook copies.

The second option is “Color in red precisely the parts of the formulae and text constants that differ”. This can be found on the “Options” dialog box. Here the character level differences are shown on the cell-by-cell difference report.

By default both options are turned off. If the number of differences between your two Excel spreadsheet files is large, turning these options on can greatly slow down the comparison.

When reporting on the cells that differ between two Microsoft Excel workbooks, DiffEngineX can optionally ignore numeric differences to a user-specified threshold.

If you are comparing two spreadsheets with calculations, you may wish to ignore calculated values that only differ by a tiny amount.

DiffEngineX allows you to choose from the following.

1. Test for an exact numeric match.
2. Round up numbers to a specified number of decimal places before comparing them.
3. Specify the smallest difference below which numbers are considered equal.
4. Specify the smallest percentage difference below which numbers are consider equal.

Unlike many other Excel compare utilities, DiffEngineX reports on the differences between the defined Excel names, cell comments and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros.

DiffEngineX produces three new workbooks after every comparison.

The difference report (often titled Sheet1) is a cell-by-cell listing of differences in a new workbook. Each worksheet in this new workbook corresponds to the differences between the two worksheets of the same name that were compared.

The two workbooks being compared are automatically copied into new workbooks and have their differences highlighted in color.

Although most people concentrate of the cell-by-cell listing of differences, the two colored workbook copies provide a very useful view. We recommend you turn on “Hide Matching Rows” or “Hide Matching Rows, but show 4 rows on either side” via the “Extras” dialog box. You can then view just the differences by flipping between the two colored workbooks. You may wish to use Excel’s view-side-by-side functionality under the “View” tab.

DiffEngineX is a desktop software application that reports on the differences between two Microsoft Excel workbooks. It not only compares the spreadsheet cells, but also the Excel defined names, comments and embedded VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macros. You have a choice between comparing formulae or their calculated values.

DiffEngineX generates three reports. One is a cell-by-cell listing of workbook differences. The other two are color highlighted copies of the two spreadsheets you are comparing. Color is used to highlight differences. There is an option to hide matching rows on the color highlighted copies, leaving just the differing rows behind. This allows you to easily and quickly see all the differences highlighted in color without having to scroll through large numbers of identical rows. Note: DiffEngineX never modifies your workbooks – it creates copies and colors those instead.

Often new rows and columns are inserted in a spreadsheet. This can confuse a straightforward difference analysis. DiffEngineX can align similar rows and columns between Excel workbooks. DiffEngineX can compare database data imported into Excel, on the proviso that the rows are in sorted order. Excel has functionality under its Data tab to sort rows.

DiffEngineX has several options to ignore small numeric values and whitespace.

It is fast, well-tested and scalable software with a large user-base grown over many years.

It can be invoked without its user interface using command line arguments. It can be automated from .bat, .cmd files and the Windows Command Prompt. If your software development environment supports invoking .exes as external processes and supplying command line arguments, DiffEngineX can be called from software

 

Results of comparing two Microsoft Excel workbooks

 

Compare Excel WorkbooksDiffEngineX Makes Finding Excel Workbooks Differences EasySimple Use

If you are just comparing two formulae based Excel workbooks, finding the differences with DiffEngineX is easy. Just follow the steps below.

1) Download the free trial version from http://www.florencesoft.com/excel-differences-download.html
2) Right click on the zip file and extract all the files
3) Double click on setup.exe to install the software
4) Launch the software and hit “Register Later”
5) Use the left “Browse” button to load in your first Excel workbook
6) Use the right “Browse” button to load in the second Excel workbook
7) Hit “Start Comparison”
8) That’s it! DiffEngineX will make temporary copies of your two workbooks and mark all the different cells with color. A difference report titled “Sheet1” will also be generated.
9) You may want to use Excel’s view-side-by-side functionality under its View tab to view both color highlighted workbooks

Next Time
If you like added frills, then turning on “Extras->Hide Matching Rows” will make sure only rows with differences show up next time. This is simply great and powerful functionality.

Check out the “Options” dialog. It allows to you do lots of powerful things. You can hyperlink each difference on the difference report to the workbooks (both the copies and the originals). You can change from comparing formulae to calculated values. You can also decide to compare Excel comments, names or embedded VBA macros. You can even decide to ignore small numeric differences.

Comparing Rows Of Data
Using DiffEngineX’s “Align Rows” functionality (you have to turn this on first), DiffEngineX can compare rows of data. It can only insert blank rows to get similar rows to line up.

This means the rows of data in both workbooks has to be in sorted order for this to work.

I’ll say this again as it is important. * DiffEngineX can compare rows of data fine, but you must sort them first and then save the changes from Excel. *

To sort your data just use Excel’s AZ Sort functionality under its Data tab. Then save off the changes. Close the workbooks and Excel and then fire up DiffEngineX.

It may require an extra sorting step, follow by a Save, but the results you get (especially if you use Excel’s View-side-by-side under the View tab) are wonderful and better than you will get from any other compare tool for Excel. Everything is done quickly and the results end up in Excel workbooks which are easy to view and manage.