compare .fig files, or folders containing .fig files

compareFigFiles compares GUI (*.FIG) files, reporting differences in components/properties
603 Downloads
Updated 3 Aug 2017

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Syntax:
compareFigFiles(folderName1, folderName2)
compareFigFiles(folderName, figFilename)
compareFigFiles(figFilename, folderName)
[diffStruct,data1,data2] = compareFigFiles(figFilename1, figFilename2)

Description:
compareFigFiles compares *.fig files, reporting internal components and properties that are different between corresponding fig files.

Inputs can be either a figure filename or folder name. When a folder name is specified, then all the corresponding fig file(s) in that folder will be compared to the other folder/file. Note: when one of the inputs is a folder, then only files that have the same name will be compared.

compareFigFiles(folderOrFilename) compares the specified input to the current folder (pwd).

[diffStruct,data1,data2] = compareFigFiles(file1,file2) returns a Matlab struct containing the non-matching components/properties. Each of the struct fields corresponds to a specific figure handle and property name, and contains a cell array of 2 values, for each of the compared files. data1 and data2 contain the raw data used for the comparison - a Matlab struct with fields corresponding to each of the components/properties defined in the fig file (see attached screenshot).
Examples:
compareFigFiles('C:\Yair',pwd); % compares corresponding fig files in 2 folders
compareFigFiles('C:\Yair'); % (same as above)

compareFigFiles('myApp', 'hisApp'); % compare 2 FIG files
compareFigFiles('myApp.fig','hisApp.fig'); % (same as above)

compareFigFiles('C:\Yair\myApp'); % compare C:\Yair\myApp.fig to (pwd)\myApp.fig
compareFigFiles('C:\Yair\myApp',pwd); % (same as above)
compareFigFiles(pwd,'C:\Yair\myApp'); % (same as above)

Technical Description:
http://undocumentedmatlab.com/blog/fig-files-format/

Bugs and suggestions:
Please send to Yair Altman (altmany at gmail dot com)

Cite As

Yair Altman (2024). compare .fig files, or folders containing .fig files (https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/42466-compare-fig-files-or-folders-containing-fig-files), MATLAB Central File Exchange. Retrieved .

MATLAB Release Compatibility
Created with R2010b
Compatible with any release
Platform Compatibility
Windows macOS Linux
Categories
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Acknowledgements

Inspired by: ObjDiff - Generic object comparator

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Version Published Release Notes
1.2.0.0

Fixed certain edge-cases; added support for savefig(...,'compact') mode

1.0.0.0