Compare Project

The Productivity Suite Software Compare Project allows users to select P-Series project files (.adpro) and perform project-to-project comparisons on these files. In addition, the Compare Project Tool provides you with a graphical representation of your ladder logic and the ability to apply filters to perform a selective Compare. Once the Compare Project Tool has performed the comparison, it generates a report detailing the differences between the two project files. This report can be saved as an .adcmp file for future reference.

 

Click to jump to section:

• Task View
• Tag DB Compare
• UDI (User Defined Instruction)

Compare Project

There are two sections to Project Compare, TagDB and Task. This section covers the portion shared by the two different compares. TabDB and Task Compare are covered in more detail in the following sections.

1. Save: Opens the Save dialog, from which a user can save the active compare report as an .adcmp file, with a name you specify.
2. Open: Opens the Open dialog, from which a user can open a previously saved compare report.
3. Close: Closes the active Compare Report and clears the Results window.
4. Print: Opens the Print dialog, from which a user can Print the active report.
5. Base Project: Users can compare a project on disk, the currently open project, or a historical version from the repository if version control is enabled. .

Note: To activate the browse button, close any open "on disk" project file by selecting File > Close Project.

6. Comparing to: Allows user's to choose to Compare "A Project on Disk" or "The Current Project on Disk.
7. Comparing to (Version Control): If the Comparing To project selected has version control enabled, all committed versions will be available for comparison.
   

   

8. Compare: Starts the compare process between the two selected project files.

UDI (User Defined Instruction)

UDI complare will show differences in Ladder between two projects that contain a UDI definition.

Note: For UDI compare differences please refer toTask View for details.

Task Compare

1. Task Tab: Overview Base and Compare projects of the Summary and Project panes.
2. Compare Documentation and Instruction Constants filters: Allows the user the ability to select what filters to use for the compare results. Unchecking an option removes it from the comparison process.
3. Base Project Summary Pane: This pane shows an overview of detected differences of the Base project. The overview consists of a tree that identifies the top level of the difference detected.
4. Compare Project Summary Pane: This pane shows an overview of detected differences of the Compare project. This overview consists of a tree that identifies the top level of the difference detected.

5. Header Options: The following section describes each of these header options:

1. Task Comment: This is a single comment that is used to provide a general description for the entire task in question. The maximum number of characters in this field is 2048. This will only be seen in the specific task currently being edited.
2. Rung Comment: This is a single comment for any given ladder rung in the program.
3. Instruction Comment: This is designed to give the user specific details regarding this instance of this instruction.
4. Tag Names: This is the descriptive name of each controller memory variable as defined by the user either in the Tag Database or in the instructions when programming.
5. Tag Details: Shows the defined Comments and Wire Labels for each Tag Name in the Tag Database.
6. Block Details: Allows the user to view or hide the details within the Function Block instructions.
7. Zoom Controls: Provides users with more flexibility to format the display based on monitor size, display resolution and personal preference.
8. Drop Down Arrow: Located to the right of the header icons, provides the Show Icon Descriptions option. When selected, the Show Icon Descriptions option will populate the header with icon descriptions as shown in the figure above.

6. Difference Finder Arrows: Allow users to find first, previous, next, and last differences.
7. Base Project Pane: Displays information specific to the project selected as the Base Project.
8. Compare Project Pane: Displays information specific to the project selected as the Compare Project.

Compare Projects Files

Follow these steps to perform a project-to-project comparison of two project files:

1. In the Base Project field, enter the name and location of the first project you would like to compare.You can click on the Browse button to locate the .adpro file on your hard drive or network.

Note:To enable the browse button, you must first close any open project file by choosing File > Close project.

2. In the Compare Project field, enter the name and location of the second project you would like to compare. You can click on the Browse button to locate the .adpro file on your hard drive or network.
3. Check/uncheck any of the Compare Filters for documentation and/or instruction constants to add/remove them from the comparison results.
4. Click the Compare button.

Results of relay ladder logic routines are displayed in graphical form. Differences between the Task, Base Project and Compare Project are color coded for easy identification. Once you run a comparison, the Productivity Suite Compare Tool generates and populates the Task, Base Project and Compare Project windows.

The Compare Report is a formatted file that displays the differences between the two projects selected for comparison. The beginning of the report consists of a task differences section, which will allow a user to select each task and view ladder differences. Throughout these sections, the differences between the two files you compared are shown side-by-side so that you can quickly see the variations between them.

 

Note:You can navigate between the various items within compare results, but you cannot edit its content.

Information displayed in the Task, Base Project, and Compare Project is color-coded:

• Red: Indicates items that exist in one project task/rung but not the other or the order of a task/rung does not match the compared project.
• Blue: Indicates items that are common between the two projects, but have a difference.

For example, you might have a ladder routine that exists in both projects, but with a rung that doesn't match, or a tag that exists, but contains different data. Double-clicking on these items brings up more detailed compare information.

• Black: Indicates common items that contain child elements.
• Grey: Indicates a rung that has been disabled.

Task View

The Task View shows differences between task's in the comparison:

Ladder Logic View

Ladder Logic routines are displayed in graphical form as shown below. Blue rungs indicate differences between the compared routines; red rungs identify items that are unique to that project. If the comparison detects a modified rung, the element(s) of the differing rungs may be further highlighted in blue. This typically occurs when the rung's structure is the same, but some elements are different.

Ladder Logic Routine Example:

Instruction Block

Instruction Compare operations are performed by finding any differences between the same two instructions and displaying these in the Difference Detail block. This can be accessed by right clicking and selecting Show Difference Detail on any instruction block with an instruction that has a counterpart in the other task. The Difference Detail pop up will be displayed showing differences.

Instruction Block Diagram Example

Go To Workspace Location

If you are using the Current Project in Workspace for the Base Project in the comparison, an option will be available by right clicking on an instruction and selecting Go To Workspace Location. This will take you to the Instruction Location in your currently open Ladder Project file.

Tag DB Compare

1. TagDB tab: Overview of the TagDB Base and Compare projects of the Base project vs. Comparing To and Tag Detail panes.
2. Compare Documentation: If selected includes the Tag Comment and Wire label differences in the compare.
3. Include Matches: Selecting this option will include equal matches.
4. Tags to Show: Use the check boxes across the top of the window to select which tags to display in the compare window. *Entering text in the Text Field will display tags with that text in the Name, System ID or Comment fields.
5. Base project/Comparing To: Shows results of the TagDB compare.
   
   

Information displayed in the Base Project, Compare Project ad Tag Detail is color-coded:

• Red: Indicates tags that exist in one TagDB but not the other.
• Blue: Indicates tags that are common between the two projects, but have a difference.
• Grey: Indicates a tags that exist in both projects with no differences. For example, you might have a tag that exists in both tag databases, but contains different fields. Left clicking on these items brings up more detailed compare information for that specific tag in the Tag Detail window.
  
  " * " Indicates the tag exists in both project but has differences.
  " > or < " Indicates a tag exists in one project TagDB but not the other.
  
  
  
  

Print

The Print function allows Printing of the results from the Project Comparison.

Note: Printing for Project Comparison can only be selected with the Project Comparison window. It can not be selected from the normal File > Print option.

Note: All rungs when printed will be rung wrapped.

1. Include Matching Tasks: Select this option to print out all tasks that only have matching results.
2. Include Missing Tasks: Select this option to only print out tasks that are missing from the Compared Project.
3. Include Different Tasks: Select this option to only print out tasks that have differences.
4. Print Differences Only: Select this option to only print out differences from the results, all other rungs will be removed from the print.

Note: This option will be grayed out if Include Different Tasks is not selected.

5. Trim END Rungs: Removes remaining END Rungs from the ladder printout.

6. Block Detail: Allows the user to view or hide the details within the Function Block Instructions. This option applies to all Block Instructions for the selected tasks.

7. Wrap Tag Name:If selected, you will have the option to choose at what character count to start wrapping the tag name. The tag name will only wrap if it exceeds the column width of the column the tag name resides in. Minimum characters is 1 and maximum is 32.

Example:

8. Text Alignment: Allows text to be aligned left, center, or right justified. For tag names, this option will justify within the column the instruction resides in.
9. Fonts: Select the options for documentation visibility. Choose the comments, fonts, font sizes and colors desired on the ladder printout. There are previews available to provide a viewable sample of the printed comment.

Note: Adjusting the Font size up or down will affect the overall number of printed pages.

10. Scale: Allows the entire page being printed to be re-sized as needed to fit on a single page or make more visible. Scaling will change the size of all items in proportion.
11. Footer Text on Each Page: Select this option to add Footer Text in the text field provided. Enter the desired text to be added to the Footer of each page in the printout.
12. Print PDF: Sends selected ladders and tables to be Saved in ".pdf" format.
13. Print Button: After all selections are made, click this button to begin printing.

Note: All settings inside the Print window are now saved once you click the Print button. The Reset button returns all settings to their default value.

14. Preview Button: Click this button to see a Preview of how the Ladder Logic will look when printed.
15. Setup: Opens a Page Setup window that allows the user to set the Page Preferences.