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Eclipse comes with an internal compare editor, but if you prefer a third-party one, this plugin opens an external merge or diff tool for you. Any external compare editor can be configured, e. g. WinMerge (Windows) or kdiff3 or meld (Linux).

After you open two versions of a file in the internal eclipse compare editor, this plugin either opens an external diff tool automatically or you can choose that this plugin opens the external diff tool after you press a button in the toolbar of the internal compare editor.

This plugin does not change all places in eclipse, there the internal compare editor can be opened. It stays on top of the internal compare editor. That means, this plugin adds a button to the internal eclipse compare editor. If you click on this button, you can open an external compare editor with the content of the internal editor. Optional you can automatically launch an external compare editor.

There are lots of places in eclipse (and third party plugins) there a compare editor can be opened (e. g. revision history of various version control systems). It is nearly impossible to find and add the functionality to open an external diff tool at all these places. That's why this plugin just stays on top of the internal editor.

Installation
Method 1: Via update site (recommended):

1. If you already installed the plugin in the eclipse dropin folder, delete this existing version
   from the dropin folder and restart eclipse.
2. In Eclipse navigate to "Help" / "Install New Software".
3. Add the update site "https://sourceforge.net/projects/externalcompare/files/update-site"
4. Select the added update site and follow the install dialog in eclipse
5. Restart eclipse

Method 2: Eclipse dropin folder

1. Download the plugin
   

2. If you already installed the plugin with the update site, deinstall the plugin and restart eclipse.
3. Navigate to your eclipse install directory and copy the downloaded plugin (*.jar) file into the "./dropin" folder.
4. Restart eclipse. You should now see the new button "Compare in external editor".

Configuration

In eclipse, navigate to the eclipse preferences dialog (Menu "Windows" / "Preferences") and select the preferences page "External Compare Plugin".

• Enter the executable of your external compare editor.
• Activate "Run compare automatically", if you want the plugin to start the external compare editor automatically.
  Otherwise you can start the compare editor manually with the button "Open external compare editor" in the eclipse toolbar.