IntroductionContact UsCopyrightOn-line Help LibraryWhich file formats are supportedComparison StrategyxlCompare CommandsFile | OpenFile | Recent ComparisonsCompare | BooksCompare | SheetsCompare | ModulesCompare | OptionsView | LayoutView | Ignore FormattingTools | RecalculatexlCompare ActivationHow to activate xlCompare on the another PC?How to restore xlCompare on my PC?License detailsHow to remove trial limits?General Questions Extended View modeDisplay differences in Extended ViewFilter differencesMerge data from two worksheetsUpdate records on the worksheetDuplicate RemoverGet duplicates between 2 listsExtract Unique RecordsCommand Line modeSave changes in the workbookSave comparison report on diskWorking with TXT and CSV filesFilter data you want to compareIgnore error valuesTrace Formula CalculationsMinimize Difference BrowserSynchronize rows and columnsMark differences (changed cells) with colorDatabase ComparisonCompare worksheets As DatabaseManage Primary KeysHide Equal ModulesFilter cells on the worksheetJoin 2 lists in ExcelFind duplicates in ExcelRemove duplicates in ExcelRemove empty rows on the worksheetBulk Merge operationsBulk Undo operationHighlight only results you needVersion ControlUse xlCompare with SVN to resolve conflictsCompare Visual Basic ProjectsCompare controls on the VB FormsMerge controls on the formsMerge contents of the VBA ModulesI've found a problemSending bugreports to Spreadsheet Tools

Comparison Strategy - which one to choose

xlCompare offers you 2 types of comparison strategies:
  • Compare Spreadsheets
  • Compare Databases
Spreadsheet Data is a normal Excel workbook with constant cells, formulas, Visual Basic macros, etc. There is no limits to the compared data.
Database Data is a database table saved on the Excel workbsheet. All rows have same structure, which consists of fields. One or several fields should be a Primary Key. Formulas are possible, but they should not refer to other rows. Only references to cells in the same rows are possible.
Both types of data require different algorithms. You can choose appropriate one by activating option Compare as Database on the Compare tab.
Database Comparison
Usual algorithms are not suitable for database and vice versa. When database is a structured table with key which identifies every row, spreadsheet has very flexible structure, which could not be defined by any rules.
Which Strategy to choose?
You need to review you data and select. xlCompare tries to identify Primary Keys, based on your data. But these keys are not used in comparison untill you enable Compare as Database option.