Posted16 February 2024
byMark Thomas

Mastering Complex Table Comparisons Within Your Technical Documentation

Posted16 February 2024
byMark Thomas

Let our software take on the impossible task of comparing tables in technical documentation as content changes. Our latest software excels at identifying and presenting changes in even the most complex tables and technical content. Say goodbye to the time-consuming, error-prone, and often under-appreciated task of checking complex structured technical documentation. With our software, reviewing content changes becomes easier, offering greater accuracy and improved quality assurance for your reassurance.

Finding change in tables is difficult

Scanning through technical documents to pinpoint version changes can be challenging, particularly when examining content within tables. You might find yourself engaged in a manual process, relying on your preferred editing software, or utilising your organisation’s component content management systems (CCMS). However, regardless of your method for identifying changes, none can match the accuracy and reliability offered by DeltaXML content comparison.

We find the differences and display this at the cell level highlighting changes in red or green, and also redline content changes within cells. You are able to review the highlighted changes quickly, or use your favourite editing software to accept/reject and comment on changes, or if you are using a CCMS automatically process the changes in the workflow.

Content spanning table cells

Technical documentation writers, editors, or reviewers may encounter difficulties when attempting to identify changes, especially when cells are merged and content is altered. It can be challenging to accurately represent these modifications once they are found. Our table comparison examples showcase how our comparison results are presented when there are modifications in row and column spans. Alternatively, these changes can be annotated for utilisation in your organisation’s document editors or CCMS.

Competitor result

Our table comparison is aware of spans

Complex table comparison

Where do you start when two complex tables change, when columns or rows move, cells merge and content amended, there is so much difference you can’t even see the common content? Deciding how to approach comparing the content in a complex table can take as long as checking the data itself! Our software can analyse the most complex tables and make these decisions for you and then highlight a concise colour coded resolved table.

No other software can handle table comparison in technical documentation as accurately as DeltaXML’s DITA Compare. Our sophisticated algorithms give the highest levels of quality assurance to your document management system workflow.

Competitor result

Superior merged cells and columns

Table Column Alignment

Handling moving, merging, or deleted columns is a frequent scenario that often demands meticulous attention, whether through manual review or basic comparison tools. However, in this example, our results surpass expectations, offering a clearer and more visually intuitive presentation of changes for the reader.

Competitor result

Easy to read diff

Configure and integrate our software to your workflow

Compare ordered and ‘orderless’ columns

Given the diverse structures of technical documents and the variability in changes submitted by contributors, having the ability to customise the comparison process is crucial for obtaining the desired result. Integrating our software seamlessly into your existing workflow or alongside your current CCMS or DMS can be highly effective. Configuration options, such as how columns are processed, can be tailored to suit your specific needs and ensure optimal outcomes.

Columns are intuitively managed, ensuring that any alterations in table column order are accurately reflected in the results. Our software comparison seamlessly aligns them accordingly. Additionally, if desired, there’s an option for configuration to disregard the column order altogether.

Input A

Input B

Ordered table comparison result

Unordered table comparison result

Table column keying

Another useful configuration for handling complex tables is setting keys to control the comparison:

AUTO – Automatically aligns columns based on their content to achieve the best alignment.

POSITION – Aligns columns solely based on their position, meaning column 1 in A aligns with column 1 in B, and so forth.

For more intricate adjustments, manually adding custom keys to each column with processing instructions is explained in detail in our user documentation.

Evaluate DITA Compare software in your project today!

Reduce the time-consuming process of comparison in technical documentation, or improve your current CCMS or DMS. Our software finds and represents change better than any other solution, helping you review and edit with confidence and assurance.

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