Using The Comparison Utility

Overview

The Compare Utility allows users to compare the current version of an entity with any of its previous versions. This feature provides both a visual and a textual representation of the differences, helping users identify what has changed over time — whether it’s a configuration update, logic adjustment, or design modification.

Accessing the Compare Utility

Users can access the Compare Utility in two ways:

1. Right-click on an entity > Advanced > Compare [Entity] Versions.
   
2. Open the Designer Entity and click the Compare icon in the top action bar.
   

Using the Compare Screen 

Once opened, the Compare Utility displays two side-by-side panels:

• The left panel shows the selected historical version.

• The right panel shows the current version of the entity.

The default view is the Graphical version. From this screen, users are provided the option to select each of the two desired versions for comparison via the two drop-down menus on the top Action bar. Selecting two different versions visually represents the differences and similarities between each Flow's steps and their respective connections.

These steps and paths are color-coded as follows:

Textual Comparison Utility

In addition to the visual comparison, users can also switch to a Textual Comparison view by selecting the TEXTUAL toggle. This view provides a structured, text-based breakdown of differences between versions, making it easier to analyze detailed changes in configurations and logic. The table below highlights the evolution and expansion of the Textual Comparison feature across various releases.

Changes are categorized by type — Missing, Modified, Added, or Removed — and are visually distinguished using color codes. In v9.4 and earlier, a legend appears in the top-right corner, where hovering over the ‘i’ icon reveals the meaning of each color. Starting with v9.5, the legend has been relocated to the bottom of the screen for improved accessibility and consistency across designers.

Legend in v9.1 to v9.4, located in the upper right. Legend in v9.5 and above at the bottom.

The textual comparison displays two primary nodes — Info and Data. The Info node captures overall Flow details, while the Data node highlights all configuration and logic changes made within the designer. By expanding the drop-down arrows, users can drill down to view detailed modifications. In the example below, the Flow name, Description, and multiple changes have been made to the Steps and connections, which are currently being reviewed.

To make reviewing changes faster and more efficient, the comparison view includes ‘Show Changes Only’ and ‘Expand All’ toggles. The ‘Show Changes Only’ toggle filters the view to display only the modified parts, hiding unchanged sections. The ‘Expand All’ toggle automatically opens all nodes, allowing users to see every detail of the changes at once.

Feature Changes