Confirm model change difference

Overview

Next Design allows you to see the difference in model changes compared to previous project files and previous revisions in configuration management.

The procedure for checking model change differences is explained in the following order.

• Selection of comparison targets
• Confirm difference
• end comparison

select comparison target

There are multiple ways to compare projects:

• Compare with the project file before change
• Compare with previous revision
• Compare between arbitrary revisions

For each of the above, we describe below how to select a comparison target.

Compare with previous project file

Follow the steps below to compare the project file currently being edited with the project file saved as a separate file before modification.

Operation procedure

1. From the ribbon, click Team Collaboration > Difference > Comparison Target and click Compare with a Project File.
2. In the [Select comparison project] dialog, select the project file to be compared and press the [Open] button.
3. When the comparison target is selected, the differences are displayed in the model navigator and model editor.

Compare with previous revision

If you are editing a project registered in the configuration management repository and want to compare it with a previous revision, do the following:

Operation procedure

1. From the ribbon, click Team Collaboration > Difference > Comparison Target and click Compare with a Revision.
2. In the [Log Messages] dialog, select the revision to be compared and press the [OK] button.
3. When the comparison target is selected, the differences are displayed in the model navigator and model editor.

Compare between arbitrary revisions

To compare two already committed revisions of a project registered in the configuration management repository, follow the steps below.

Operation procedure

1. When using the configuration management repository from Next Design for the first time, [Linkage with configuration management system > Manage the repository to be used](linkage-with-scm-system/#linkage-with-scm-system--manage -using-repositories) to pre-register the configuration management repository.
2. From the ribbon, click Team Collaboration > Difference > Comparison Target and click Compare Revisions.
3. In the [Repository Selection] dialog, select the repository where the project to be compared is registered, and press the [Next] button.
4. Select the folder in which the project to be compared is stored from among the folders of the configuration management repository displayed in the tree view, and click the [OK] button.
5. From the list of revisions displayed in the grid, select the two revisions to be compared while pressing the ctrl key, and press the [OK] button.
6. When the comparison target is selected, the differences are displayed in the model navigator and model editor.

caution

• When executing this function, the open project file will be closed.
• The compared project is opened as a read-only temporary file and cannot be edited.

Confirm difference

Check the differences in the model navigator

When you select a comparison target, the model icon and label color change on the model navigator so that you can see the differences in the project.

Icon	Label Color	Meaning
normal icon	normal color	unchanged model
Normal icon	Orange	Model whose subordinate model has been changed
with change mark
Added mark	Green	Added model

note

• When a model with an association is added or removed, the parent model and the counterpart model with the reference association will also be marked as modified and marked as modified.

caution

• Deleted models are not displayed in the model navigator. Instead, the deleted model's parent model is displayed with a change mark, so check the deleted model from the change diff of that parent model.
• If the child model is hidden on the model navigator, even if there is a difference in the child model, the icon and label color of the parent model will not change.

Check the change diff in the model editor

When you select a comparison target, the models before and after the change are displayed side by side so that you can see the difference in the model editor, and the difference is color-coded.

• Example of difference display in diagram

  

• Example of difference display other than diagram

  

Other operating procedures

• To temporarily show/hide the model before changes, click [Team Collaboration] > [Difference] > [Show Diff Before] from the ribbon.
• To temporarily show/hide change diffs, click Team Collaboration > Difference > Show Diff from the ribbon.

caution

• Even if you display a model with change marks on the model navigator, the changed parts of the model may not be displayed. This is because the values and associations of properties that are not visible in the view may have changed. In such cases, switch to another view to check, or go to the Inspector's Property tab to see more details about your model.
• To check the deleted model, display the parent model with the change mark and check it with the comparison target before the change displayed side by side.

Check the change diff in the configuration editor

When you select a comparison target, the changed parts are displayed in different colors so that you can see the differences between them on the configuration editor.

• Example of difference display in the configuration editor

  

End comparing

To finish comparing change diffs:

Operation procedure

1. Click Team Collaboration > Difference > End comparing from the ribbon.
2. As a result, the difference display is canceled and the comparison target returns to the unselected state.