Frequently Asked Questions
How does text compare work?▼
The text compare tool splits both texts into lines and uses a longest-common-subsequence (LCS) diff algorithm to find the minimum set of additions, deletions, and modifications. It then performs character-level diffing within modified lines to highlight exactly which words or characters changed.
What is the difference between side-by-side and unified diff views?▼
Side-by-side view shows the original and modified texts in two columns, making it easy to compare corresponding lines. Unified view combines both texts into a single stream with + and - prefixes (like Git diffs). Inline view highlights changes directly within the text flow.
Can I compare large texts?▼
Yes. The tool runs entirely in your browser, so there is no file size limit imposed by a server. However, very large texts (over 50,000 lines) may take a moment to process. For best performance, disable real-time comparison and click the Compare button manually.
What do the ignore options do?▼
Ignore Case treats uppercase and lowercase letters as identical. Ignore Whitespace collapses all spaces and tabs so formatting differences are hidden. Ignore Punctuation strips punctuation marks before comparing, which is useful for comparing prose regardless of punctuation style.