When You Can't Match Elements or Documents

With Delta, you can compare two non-corresponding or dissimilar design elements to view their differences. The elements or documents could differ in many ways. These two elements may be of the same type but have different names, for example, two completely different forms. They may be of two different types, for example, a form and a subform. They may be hierarchically below the design element level, for example, two fields on a form. Or they may be CD records, the sub-elements of rich text fields.

In any of these cases, you must Compare the two elements to display their differences.

You may want to look at the difference between two documents but not want to match them. Since you can't view Differences for non-corresponding documents, you will have to Compare them.

Using Compare, you can view the differences between any two design elements or two documents, even though they are not similar.

To compare two unmatchable design elements

1. Select one element in each pane.
2. Right-click one of the two element titles.
3. Choose Compare from the shortcut menu.
   
   The Show Differences window opens, displaying the element from Database 1 in the left pane and the element from Database 2 in the right pane.
   
4. Double-click one of the form names at the top of the panel to show the form's visual representation of forms, sub-forms, pages or navigators and compare for differences.
   

You use the Differences feature for items that are lined up with the like item in the other pane. You use the Compare feature for items that are anywhere on the lists.

If you use Compare to show differences for a visual design element, you will first see the text differences in the Show Differences window. To see the visual differences, double-click an item within the Show Differences window.