How to use BeyondCompare to merge updates with edited core files

[djcaseanova]

DirtyButter,

Can YOU tell me how you use BeyondCompare for your upgrades? I use a MAC so a lot of the tools aren't available, but I see BeyondCompare is available for Mac. I am tired of redoing mods after each upgrade. Since I don't see changelogs anymore, what's the best way to use this BC tool?? I appreciate your help!!

[Dirty Butter]

I've been using BeyondCompare a long time, so with very few exceptions EVERY time I've made ANY change from stock CC there is a COMMENTED explanation of what I did, or more accurately what Bsmither showed me how to do. I always indicate who provided such tweaks, as well, and sometimes actually have the link to the forum thread it came from.

It' not for the faint hearted - sorry!!

So your first step would be to compare your stock CC against an ftp'd copy of your current store folders/files and MARK all current tweaks you've made . I don't bother to download the image folder.

1. Load the stock CC on the left, then yours on the right, using Folder Compare.

2. Select ALL Files and then Compare? from the tool bar. Expand with tool bar set to Show Differences and Compare Files and Folder Structure.

You will see a slashed red equal sign in the column between each file that is not identical. Double click to open the files for comparison.

3. COMMENT every change on your version you want to keep from one upgrade to the next.

4. SAVE a dated copy of your working store with comments - named with current version number.

5. Create a duplicate copy of your Commented working store with the next version number in the name.

After that point there are two ways to approach it - when a new upgrade comes out, make a comparison of the old stock and the new upgrade, and make each change to your duplicate with the new version number. I've used that way in the past when I only had a few differences between stock and edited versions, but it eventually got too confusing for me.

The other way is to compare the new upgrade on the left with your saved edited new version number store on the right, copying changes over into your own copy VERY CAREFULLY. You still have to make decisions where you have made tweaks as to how to incorporate the new code into your changed code, or even whether to ignore the new code and keep your old code. For instance, I use an old v5 mod that creates sequential order numbers. The 6.0.10 code uses new code for creating order numbers - I could not get the new way to work with my old mod code, so I'm NOT using the new code for that part at all. I have it commented out with an explanation for future reference.

6. You should now have a copy of your store with all upgrades merged and all tweaks commented.

7. Upgrade via CC as usual, so all database changes are managed properly.

8. THEN Upload your new merged and commented version over the stock upgraded version.

Because I have so many mods and tweaks in place, this rarely goes smoothly the first time. There's almost always some merge attempt I've made that causes a problem. Then I rename the folder I think is the issue, such as the admin skins templates, or maybe classes, and upload the stock folder. If that "fixes" the issue, I can go back and find my merging error within just that folder.

9. Because this is such tedious work, I've started downloading the GitHub Master from time to time and incrementally merging the next version's code with my saved copy of that future version of my edited code. That way when CC actually comes out with an upgraded version, it doesn't take me so long to get up and running with it.