Showing Differences

Use the Differences window to show the front panels and block diagrams of the two VIs. You can show the Differences window by selecting Tools»Compare»Show Differences.

It is also possible to access this feature by clicking the Show Differences button in the Compare VI Hierarchies dialog box.

The Differences window includes a list of differences and details of the selected difference.

Complete the following steps to selectively find differences in the front panels and block diagrams of two VIs.

  1. Double-click an item in the differences list or select an item and click the Show Difference button to highlight a difference.

    To highlight a detail, double-click an item in the details list or select an item and click the Show Detail button. A checkmark indicates the items you selected.
  2. Click the Tile Left and Right or Tile Up and Down button to tile the windows of the two VIs you are comparing.
  3. Click the Clear button to clear the differences list.
  4. If you have made edits after comparing your VIs, some of the differences might no longer exist. Click the Update button to again compare the two VIs and update the differences list.

Place a checkmark in the Circle Differences checkbox to draw a red circle around the object(s) that have changed. When you highlight a difference, objects that are part of the difference are selected. The following illustration shows an example of a block diagram difference.

In the illustration, the circled objects have been inserted into the second VI. Objects selected but not circled are not different. They are selected as anchor objects to provide reference points for the difference. Objects that appear dimmed are not part of the difference. This comparison checked for differences in VI Attributes and Cosmetic Changes in the block diagram but not Size/Position changes.