topic Re: Print Enterprise Guide "Diff" Report? in SAS Enterprise Guide

Print Enterprise Guide "Diff" Report?

jimbarbour — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 23:37:55 GMT

Enterprise Guide gives me this really nice "diff" feature showing me the changes between one version of a program and another. See screen shot, below.

Is there a way to print this diff report? Or put it out to a pdf? Or something? I really like the diff report, but I want to be able to share it with others who don't use Enterprise Guide (like my boss).

Thanks,

Jim

Re: Print Enterprise Guide "Diff" Report?

jimbarbour — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 23:39:18 GMT

Well, I suppose that the deafening silence would indicate a "no." Rats.

Jim

Re: Print Enterprise Guide "Diff" Report?

CaseySmith — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 03:02:39 GMT

Hi Jim,

Yeah, there is no way to print (to paper or PDF) that specific diff view (well, other than taking a screenshot), however you should be able to accomplish by configuring a custom diff tool in EG and using it to print the differences. For example...

-In EG's Tools->Options->File Comparison, check Use custom file comparison tool and specify a diff tool installed on your computer. (I like WinMerge.)
-In your program's History dialog, multi-select (Ctrl+MouseClick) the two versions you wish to compare, then click the Compare button (which will become enabled when you have exactly two versions selected).
-Your custom diff tool will open, displaying the differences between the two selected versions.
-Click Print in your custom diff tool.

Your diff tool will very likely support printing the differences, though it may be in a different display format. (For example, WinMerge displays and prints the differences side-by-side rather than inline +/-.. Git style diff.) I suspect you could find another diff tool that would display the differences in that Git diff layout and use it as your custom file comparison tool in EG.

Casey

Re: Print Enterprise Guide "Diff" Report?

jimbarbour — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 05:18:58 GMT

Hi, @CaseySmith,

Thank you very much for that. It had occurred to me to try to configure a 3rd party tool of some type, but my organization is incredibly up tight about such stuff. If it's not on the approved software list, then we can't purchase it, and, guess what, there are no "diff" tools on the approved list.

I can always export my sas programs from EG, upload to UNIX, run a diff there, and then download the results, a most convenient and efficient means of producing a diff, I think we'll all agree.

Maybe I can convince @cjdinger to put the feature into the next version of SAS Enterprise Guide. 🙂

Re: Print Enterprise Guide "Diff" Report?

ChrisHemedinger — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 14:50:09 GMT

@CaseySmith is the one to convince, @jimbarbour -- these days I'm just an enthusiast, like yourself.

WinMerge is free so no purchase necessary, but you still need permission from your IT overlords to install. It's a great productivity tool -- for programmers, it should be a simple case to make.

Re: Print Enterprise Guide "Diff" Report?

jimbarbour — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 04:45:55 GMT

Well, if either of you are at WUSS, I'll buy you a beer. You guys are all super supportive here on the Communities.

And, if you're suffering from insomnia, you can come and hear my ever-so-exciting talk on "Parallel Processing in Base SAS." White knuckle stuff if ever there were such a thing.

Jim