Some have complained before about the "The selected files are identical" (SFAI) dialog you get when files are truly identical, or when their differences are ignored. The message is fine, but the form it is delivered in is annoying. The dialog blocks access to the Options pane where you wish you could go to set Compare > Whitespace to a full compare. Confirming the dialog closes the program, so you can't edit one of the files.
I don't quite understand how previous artifacts (778823, 759751, 915074...) changed the way it worked, but with version 2.13.6 gives me no SFAI dialog when you compare two files through the Compare menu item in shell integration. Fine with me, but if the SFAI dialog is good for anything, I imagine it would be for newcomers using shell integration.
On the other hand, there is an SAFI dialog when you chose TortoiseSVN integration and use TortoiseSVN > Diff, or compare from other TortoiseSVN dialogs. The dialog is caused by the -x option on the external diff view command line. This is how it's set up by the installer if you request TortoiseSVN integration. But TortoiseSVN knows about identical files itself: it grays out the Diff menu item if files are truly identical, and other TortoiseSVN dialog only list things to be compared if the things are different. So basically in the context of TortoiseSVN, you only get the SAFI dialog if the files are not identical. So I don't see any point in having the installer specify -x for TortoiseSVN.
From the SVN log it looks like th -x switch has been there from the beginning with installer-added TortoiseSVN support. I don't remember the details but I think I took the command line from TortoiseSVN manual. -x doesn't seem to appear in current TSVN manual.
ShellExtension does not use -x command line switch.
I can remove the -x from TSVN default command line. It sounds unnecessary indeed.
Patch
Attached a patch that removes -x command line switch (remove_x_tsvn_command.patch).
Fix committed to SVN trunk - will be in next experimental release:
Completed: At revision: 6742
Obviously this kind of behavior change is not proper for stable branch (2.12.x).
Thanks for the quick turnaround, and all the work you did before.
I never thought about looking at the suggested commandline for WinMerge in the TSVN manual. And that this choice had gone from TSVN back into the WinMerge installer. So that's why the WinMerge installer and the TSVN manual both present a -ub option, while the page "Command line" in WinMerge help describes a /u option (but they do the same thing, keeping both files out of MRU lists).
> I never thought about looking at the suggested
> commandline for WinMerge in the TSVN manual
The -x might from there, or just because I thought it would be good - I can't remember for sure...
These are kind of things we don't touch unless there are problems. If it works don't fix it.
Backported to Branch R2_14 (In Revision 7320)