Disk \ ADF Compare

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by BarryB

ADF-Workshop can batch process 2 ADF's but the output is in the same window and doesn't highlight any changed tracks, so does anything like this exist either on the PC or Amiga?

I just open 2 x ADF-Workshop; move one to the left left and one to the far right and scroll each

Ok, no highlight in differences though.

If you really wanted to you though, could copy each window, then past into Word and use the Compare / Merge function to see changes...

[BarryB]

Originally Posted by DamienD

I just open 2 x ADF-Workshop; move one to the left left and one to the far right and scroll each

Ok, no highlight in differences though.

If you really wanted to you though, could copy each window, then past into Word and use the Compare / Merge function to see changes...

That's how I've been doing it too, but I don't copy any text!

What I do is drag one window so only the U.SUM D.CRC columns are visible then slide that over the other window so I can see both U.SUM D.CRC columns and line up the tracks then just look across to compare. It's a pain in the ass but it's the only way to check for any differences in the tracks, as long as you spot them though that is!!

[twitek]

I guess a simple

 fc /b >1.txt file1 file2

is not what you are looking for?

[BarryB]

Originally Posted by twitek

I guess a simple

 fc /b >1.txt file1 file2

is not what you are looking for?

Not really, we need something that is ADF aware and can show on a track by track basis which tracks are different from a comparison of 2 ADF's.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by BarryB

That's how I've been doing it too, but I don't copy any text!

I'm only saying copy / paste text from ADF Workshop if you want to compare via Word

Originally Posted by BarryB

What I do is drag one window so only the U.SUM D.CRC columns are visible then slide that over the other window so I can see both U.SUM D.CRC columns and line up the tracks then just look across to compare. It's a pain in the ass but it's the only way to check for any differences in the tracks, as long as you spot them though that is!!

Yeah I hear ya.

[BarryB]

I was only saying I don't compare using a text editor

Seems we need to ask for a utility to be coded by someone for this purpose, either a native Amiga program or PC! I saw the ADF-Toolkit by Big-Byte but it doesn't quite do the job and the ADFdiff program looked useful but couldn't get it to work, never saved a .diff file!

[zenox98]

I've owned Ultraedit on pc for years and it can compare 2 progs/files/adf/ etc, basically anything.

They are then shown side by side and both will scroll simultaneously and differences are highlighted.

[BarryB]

Originally Posted by zenox98

I've owned Ultraedit on pc for years and it can compare 2 progs/files/adf/ etc, basically anything.

They are then shown side by side and both will scroll simultaneously and differences are highlighted.

Most comparison programs work like that, but none of them are ADF 'aware' meaning they don't show which of the 80 'tracks' in an ADF are different.

[Exodous]

I use Beyond Compare (https://www.scootersoftware.com/index.php) and it has the ability to use Total Commander plugins.

Total Commander has an ADF plugin (AmigaDX from here https://www.ghisler.com/plugins.htm)

With this plugin loaded, you can compare ADFs at the filesystem level, so even if somebody took a disk and did "copy df0:#? all df1:" and had OFS on one and FFS on the other, it would show the contents were the same.

Similarly, you can compare a DMS and an ADF or ADZ to see if they're the same.


Finally, it's worth saying that Beyond Compare comes as a 30 day trial, but it is a little different to most 30 day trials. They usually stop after 30 calendar days, but Beyond Compare allows you to run it on 30 separate days. That means I can run it 100 times today, not at all for 2 weeks, and the next time I run it, I've still got 29 days left of the trial.

[BarryB]

Again, it's not about files, it's about showing which TRACKS are different!

[Exodous]

Sorry I offended you, I won't bother next time!

I just thought it was a useful feature that, whilst it didn't exactly do what you wanted may still be useful?

[Exodous]

... however, because I'm a good guy, is this the sort of thing you're looking for, which I've just knocked up in the last 45 minutes?

> adfcompare disk1-original.adf disk1-virus-damage.adf


ADFcompare v0.1 - Exodous - 25 March 2021

Track comparing file 'disk1-original.adf' with 'disk1-virus-damage.adf'

Successfully loaded 'disk1-original.adf'
Successfully loaded 'disk1-virus-damage.adf'

Track 0 differs
Track 3 differs
Track 17 differs
Track 18 differs
Track 32 differs
Track 40 differs
Track 41 differs
Track 42 differs
Track 43 differs
Track 44 differs
Track 45 differs
Track 46 differs
Track 47 differs
Track 51 differs
Track 56 differs
Track 62 differs
Track 63 differs
Track 64 differs
Track 65 differs


Comparison complete: 19 tracks differ

[BarryB]

There was no offence, just a misunderstanding of what was being asked! I don't dispute Beyong Compare + AmigaDX is one solution for checking an ADF at the filesystem level it just wasn't the solution for this particular request!

However, your ADFcompare utility is exactly what was being asked for, check 2 ADF's and just show what tracks are different

[Exodous]

Currently it compares either tracks (default) or blocks and does it for standard 80 track ADF's. If a file can't be loaded, or is too big/small, it displays an error.

Does it need to be able to cope with oversized ADF's?

I'll then make any amendmends and knock up a Windows command line binary later and share it.

[BarryB]

Oversized ADF's aren't common but would be good to support them, 'just in case'. As long as a normal ADF, either with/without a filesystem, can be loaded that should be fine!

[Exodous]

Here is ADFcompare v0.1.

This only supports standard 901,120 byte ADF files as I'm not going to be able to add extended support this evening and thought it would be useful to get it "out there" for some feedback, before I can look at adding the extra bits over the next couple of days.

Updated - see post below

[BarryB]

Awesome!

Modified some ADF's and compared, found all tracks that were different and -b also shows which blocks!

If you buy a lot of disks from various places, like I do, if they are all AmigaDOS tracks it makes comparing against an ADF made from an official IPF (if there is one) help to show any tracks modified, either with saves, high scores or viruses! Then the disk can be repaired just by writing back those tracks!

Could I ask for 1 addition please? As well as showing which track differs, can it show which side differs too? So if a track was modified only on one side to show just the side e.g. Track 22 differs on Side 0 or Track 22 differs on side 1 etc. If both sides differ then Track 22 differs on Sides 1 & 2, or however you want to word it? It's no problem if that can't be added, the program is doing what was initially asked of it.

Also, if you put this line into a batch file:

@adfcompare.exe %*
@pause

It will allow you to 'drag and drop' 2 ADF's onto the batch file to see the output without having to open a CMD window yourself and type anything in, just keep adfcompare.exe and the batch file in the same folder! Call the batch file whatever you want, I called it adfcompare.bat for example! You'll just be prompted to press any key to close the window!

Or, you could make it output to text file like so:

@adfcompare.exe %* >adfcompare.txt

When you 'drag and drop' 2 ADF's onto the batch file it will generate an adfcompare.txt file with the results and silently exit!

Similarly, using the -b option will show which blocks differ: @adfcompare.exe -b %*

[Exodous]

ADFcompare v0.2 (Windows Command Line)

v0.1 - 25 March 2021 - Initial version

• Knocked up in 45 minutes to demonstrate the concept and compiled on Windows with a version of GCC v8.1.0 I happened to have lying around.

v0.2 - 26 March 2021 - Added functionality and features

• Reports the side as well as the track that has changed - this uses 0/1, but can optionally use A/B - requested feature by BarryB.
• Track / Block numbering can optionally start at one, rather than zero.
• Supports comparing standard ADF files with overdumped ADF files and reports overdumped tracks that are blank (all null), or contain data.
• Added support for "popular" types of ADF overdump and extra sectors per track.
• If popular formmats aren't sufficient, the number of tracks (20 - 100) and sectors (9 - 22) can be specified with command line options.

[BarryB]

Perfect

Just have to be wary of -t and -T and also -S is only an uppercase option! The batch file I created can also work with the extra options too!

Don't think there is anything more to add, as Rodney Reynolds would say: "This is a 100% Kickass Product!"

[Radertified]

Originally Posted by BarryB

Don't think there is anything more to add

I haven't tested it so maybe it already does this, but knowing what files are on the different tracks would be nice, assuming it's a DOS readable ADF.