Total Commander

I suggest to use content plugins in Compare Tool.

It is necessary to add above each panel combobox for a choice of a set of columns. The user chooses a set of columns, Total merges contents of the text of all columns in the virtual text file divided by breaks of a line #13#10 (optional) and starts comparing. The text from content plugins is accessible only to reading.

Image: http://motorocker.nm.ru/total/compare01.png

For columns user adjusts sets of fields standardly in adjustments: Custom Columns.

Probably, it is necessary to add before the text a (bold) line with the name of a field.

Probably, it is necessary to load the automatically set of columns depending on extention since practically there is no sense to compare TXT and DOC or DBF files among themselves in a binary format.

All code and interface practically is already written.

Thus it will be possible to compare DOC, RTF, HTML, TXT files among themselves, tags of MP3 files, a fields and data DBF and others DB files, EXIF and the other information of pictures and many other things.

I suspect, that this addition of it functional also entails a writing new content plugins.

Support

Woa, that is a nice idea! SUPPORT! Finally I would use the internal compare...!

Support too, but it is necessary to think very much about the way the columns and fields will be selected. It is not easy to find a fast and convenient set of controls which wouldn't take too much screen space...

Support too.

It is not easy to find a fast and convenient set of controls which wouldn't take too much screen space

Combobox is quite good for such kind of selection, isn't?

VadiMGP wrote:Combobox is quite good for such kind of selection, isn't?

One combobox to select several plugins, several fields (the number of which being variable)? I don't think so. Of course, one could limit oneself with only those column sets that are defined for displaying, but in my opinion this restriction is too strict.

 
Support

Flint wrote:One combobox to select several plugins, several fields (the number of which being variable)?

The idea is to define several field sets (like custom views). So this combo you need only to choose desired field set.
But you can define as many sets as you wish.

I like the idea, support ++

IMHO, I would prefer custom fields by file type, like in overwrite dialog.