However, this app is that rare graphical utility that embodies the age-old Unix credo of taking on a single task and doing it as well as possible-and in so doing it becomes, quite simply, the best of its kind, at least on OS X.Splashtop Wired XDisplay is a Windows program that lets you use your iPad as a second monitor for your PC. The integration functionality is essentially flawless: It took me only a minute or so to set Kaleidoscope up as Git’s default file comparison and merging tool, and it immediately became part of my workflow without any fuss.ĭeveloper Friendly: Kaleidoscope integrates readily with other popular developer tools, including all the major version-control systems like Git, Mercurial, and Subversion Bottom lineĪt $70, Kaleidoscope’s premium pricing may seem odd in a world where most of the tools developers use on a daily basis are free. Luckily, Kaleidoscope comes with the ability to integrate with an amazing array of external developer tools, starting with the major version-control systems, including Git, Mercurial, and Subversion, as well as with other popular OS X apps for developers, like Black Pixel’s own After all, for all their limitations, most of the products that could be considered competitors to Black Pixel’s software have the major advantage of effortlessly working alongside within a developer’s likely workflow, if not for any other reason than most of us have been using them as part of our daily routine for many years. Kaleidoscope’s many functions are well executed, but I have my doubt that, by themselves, they would convince many users to abandon their existing toolset. On a lark, I had it compare my document directory with an older version on a backup drive and, despite having to sift through a decade’s worth of accumulated cruft, it took Kaleidoscope only a few seconds to start returning useful information. I was impressed by the app’s speed, even when working on a massive data set. As a bonus, it even shows the size of each file and folder, making it easier to zero in on relevant contents. Kaleidoscope again uses colors to inform the user of the differences between the two folders. In this mode, the focus is on comparing two directories, highlighting files that appear in one but not the other, or that appear in both but are different. This is perhaps the app’s least-exciting functionality, although it does its job quite well. Kaleidoscope’s third area of functionality is the filesystem, where the app can be used to determine the differences between two folders. The three visualization modes work well without any tweaking, and the app allows you to change the display font (something every developer will immediately want to do) and to turn off multi-color display in favor of multiple shades of blue, which will be welcome news to color-blind users. This is an invaluable tool when it comes to tracking down small changes-which happens relatively often in source code, where something as simple as a plus or minus sign could introduce significant but hard-to-detect bugs.Įven for something as well established as a textual diff, Kaleidoscope reveals a lot of attention to detail without overwhelming the user with choices. In all three modes, whenever the same block of text appears in both files with changes, the app also highlights the differences between individual words. Side by Side: As expected, the app’s textual comparison capabilities are extensive and well organized.įinally, the Unified mode allows you to examine the differences condensed in a single panel, with all three kinds of changes joined in a single stream. Finally, purple singles out blocks of text that appear in both files but contain different text.Ī second mode called Fluid uses the same color scheme, but connects each set of blocks on both sides of the comparison with a line, giving you a quick way to see how the differences between your two files affect the flow of the document you’re examining. In Kaleidoscope’s first mode called Blocks, the two files stand side-by-side, their differences shown by blocks of three colors: Green identifies text that appears on the right but not on the left, while red is used to show text that is part of the left file but not of the right. Xcode to render the differences between files in a visual way that wasn’t possible in the early days.īeing a dedicated tool, however, allows Kaleidoscope to take on this task with an unparalleled focus, offering a wide range of comparison options, including support for plain text and HTML, as well as three separate ways of visualizing the differences between two documents. That’s not to say that innovation has been missing altogether from this space-the advent of graphical user interface has made it possible for developer-oriented apps such as Bare Bones Software’s
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |