IBM Support

Compare utilities cleardiff and cleartool diff fail to note differences between binary files

Troubleshooting


Problem

This technote explains why the IBM Rational ClearCase cleardiff or cleartool diff commands attempt to start the text_file manager when comparing binary files.

Symptom


Attempts to perform a comparison of binary files using cleardiff or cleartool diff results in the following:

In ClearCase 2003.06.xx and later

The cleardiff or cleartool diff silently fails.



In ClearCase versions prior to 2003.06.xx

It incorrectly starts the text_file type manager to note the differences and reports errors such as the following:

  • With cleartool diff the error is:

    compare: Error: "M:\view\vob\binary@@\main\1" is not a 'text file': it contains a '\000'.
    This object's type does not support diff/merge of binary data.

  • With cleartool diff -graphical the error is:



  • With cleardiff the error is:

    cleardiff: Error: "binary" is not a 'text file': it contains a '\000'.
    cleardiff does not support diff/merge of binary data.

  • Using the compare utility from the GUI (Compare with Previous Version) which uses the cleardiffmrg.exe executable results in the error:

[{"Product":{"code":"SSSH27","label":"Rational ClearCase"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Component":"Cleartool","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"2002.05.00;2003.06.00;2003.06.16;7.0;7.0.1;7.1;7.1.1;7.1.2","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSSH27","label":"Rational ClearCase"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Component":"Cleartool","Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSSH27","label":"Rational ClearCase"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Component":"GUI: Diff","Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSSH27","label":"Rational ClearCase"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Component":"GUI: Diff","Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"}}]

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Document Information

Modified date:
16 June 2018

UID

swg21149498

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