[Dubious]

LemmyM: Just some quick feedback on your comparison tool.

1) It didn't take me long to figure out that I needed to select an item in the differences list to get the display of that item's parameters under the two files' columns. However some guidance, such as a "tool tip" (a pop up textbox when the cursor is over a specific spot such as the column title or button), would have been helpful.

2) Once I had selected two files for comparison, I tried out the comparison buttons ("2 to 1" and "1 to 2"). Both showed me the same number of differences and in the same order, just under different columns. Why are two "differences" columns needed? I feel the screen "real estate" would be better utilized if one column were dropped and the file columns expanded. Otherwise, your intent is not obvious enough and needs some clarification of what we should be looking for. Changing the two comparison "buttons" to a "radio control" might also be more effective.

3) I suspect you intend to put highlighting of the file differences in the Version where you intend to implement comparison of the parameters' value. I would also like to suggest a synchronization of the scrolling of the two files. When we scroll, we are definitely interested in seeing the same parameters remain side-by-side in both files. Since it is going to be the case in some (most?) files that the number of lines/parameters are not the same, it would also be necessary to provide a mechanism to "resync" the comparison lines for scrolling. My preference would be inserting blank lines in the display of the file without the corresponding lines. This makes the additional lines much more obvious. It is also necessary to distinguish between "blank" lines which exist in the file (ie. display them "white" or the same color as the background of parameter lines) and those which are a display "artifact" of your program (ie. display them "gray" or the same background color as the tool). Blanks lines are critical. In some instances they are required, in others they prevent the file from being interpreted correctly.

4) The addition of a "save setting" or similar option to remember the Last files compared would be most helpful. This could be "automatic". A "Most Recently Used" (MRU) list to include pathing would be a nice touch. Along the same lines, I suggest that the default game data file ("Space Empires IV\Data\components.txt") and the equivalent from the current "modpath.txt" file make reasonable "default" files for comparison. A directory search from the root of the drive where your tool was launched would be a reasonable starting point, though I would also guess most people will have your tool in either a sub directory at the same level as the game directory or in one or two levels under it.

BTW: If you will give me some idea of what files you intend to develop a comparison tool for next, I will try to get them into the next Version of the "Modders Guide". At the moment I am simply picking files at random based upon my impression of what people are most interested in modifying. My (soft) target is weekly updates until all the files are covered.