Compare changes between two documents

[mrow22]

Hi I've made the mistake of making changes over a month or so in two documents, thinking they were one document. I need to identify all the changes I've made in one document and most likely place them in the other document which I will save. I'll delete the similar document. Is there a way to compare words, word group, paragraphs or pages between one doc and the other? I am working with 119 pages in each. Thank you ~ Donald

[FJCC]

In OpenOffice, there is a menu item Edit -> Compare Documents. Make back up copies of both documents in case you get tangled up. Open the document you want to keep, choose Edit -> Compare Documents (or whatever it is called in LibreOffice) and the differences will be displayed as tracked changes that you can accept or reject. I suggest you examine the original documents versus the marked up version to be sure you understand how the changes are marked.

[mrow22]

Hi thanks, will check this right now. At the moment, I am comparing graph by graph and it is difficult. Yes, I see a similar feature (in Edit, in a sub-menu "Track Changes," will need to try it for a while to see if it is what I am looking for. I have both documents running. For any other suggestions, I am using Libre 7.3.7.2 x64 > Thank You, Don

[robleyd]

Edit | Track Changes is not what you want for differences between two documents. Try FJCCs suggestion.

[mrow22]

For David, I have not seen an obvious alternative to "Track Changes" as of yet. Only thing I have found is a long list of differences in a box, with a column showing only today's date for each even though I've made them within the past few days or week. I do recognize the differences, so it is something. Not sure what the feature should look like.

[robleyd]

My apologies - I had forgotten to look before I leaped, forgetting how much the LO menu structure has changed from AOO.

Yes, for LO Edit | Track Changes | Compare Document is the way to go. AOO however has Track changes and Document Comparison as separate options under Edit.

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You may wish to look at the Help for comparing documents

[mrow22]

Thank you David and FJCC. I've gone through one, and now have a slightly older one to check against what I'm presently using (it is a tech manual, again with a nearly identical filename which might have been modified two to three weeks ago). My fault this happened but right now I want to try and determine if there are any changes made a few weeks ago which were intended to only be included in the newest version. Going forward, I'll do a better job with the filenames and delete or move the rest. This is a slow-evolving 10 yr tech manual and changes could occur anywhere in it. LO doesn't make this easy. Is AOO the better suite to use? Guess I need to research. Thanks, will try again ~~ Don

[MrProgrammer]

I'll do a better job with the filenames and delete or move the rest.

If you have a file which you want to protect against accidental changes, you can use File → Properties → Security → Open file read-only → OK, then save and close the document. To remove that attribute, open the read-only file and:
• OpenOffice: use the Edit File icon on the standard toolbar
• LibreOffice: use menu Edit → Edit Mode
then clear File → Properties → Security → Open file read-only and re-save.

Edit File icon on the standard toolbar

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If this solved your problem please go to your first post use the Edit ☐ button and add [Solved] to the start of the Subject field. Select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

[robleyd]

LO doesn't make this easy. Is AOO the better suite to use

Both AOO and LO seem to be very similar in the interface for document comparison.

[mrow22]

Thanks much. A question regarding the dialog box: The date column is always showing the current date and I'm not sure of the value of that information. I am trying it now with the leading document vs. one that is 3 issues back. I have no idea what or where an important (and lost) change might be, so must trudge through an ever increasing number of false comparisons.