Office Diff

Updating a file, or content found inside can sometimes imply making a backup before applying updates. This can also be the case with text files, and you might want to compare similar ones to find the one you need. Luckily, specialized applications like Office Diff come with the right means to quickly detect and display these differences.

A neat advantage is that it comes in a lightweight package, and doesn’t even require installation to properly function. As such, you can keep it stored on a USB flash drive and carry it with you. There’s no need to worry about the target PC’s health status, because registries are not modified.

On launch, a compact main window shows up, with a couple of fields for the source files, a short description of the whole process, as well as the trigger button. The application comes with two example files, which are loaded by default so you can see how functions can be used to your advantage.

Pressing the “Diff” button brings up your default web browser with the result page. A HTML file is automatically generated with results. The page shows two columns, one for each document, as well as a small legend indicator to let you know what colors mean. Differences are neatly highlighted, thus emphasizing added content, that which got edited, as well as whether content got removed.

Another advantage is file support, with the possibility to load documents like XLSX, DOCX, PPTX, XLS, DOC, PPT, SXW, SXC, SXI, ODT, ODS, ODP, HTML, HTM, PDF, and EML. Sure enough you have to make any necessary adjustments in corresponding editors, because content is only shown, with no manipulation options.

All things considered, we come to the conclusion that Office Diff is a neat office assistant that can come in handy when you need to analyze rich documents of various type to see if anything got changed, added, or removed. It comes in a lightweight package, and the simple design quickly gets you up and running.