Document comparison

Document comparison, also known as redlining or blacklining, is a computer process by which changes are identified between two <a href="/facts/Version_control/pxCmFXqK">versions</a> of the same document for the purposes of document editing and review. Document comparison is a common task in the legal and financial industries.
The software-based document comparison process compares a reference document to a target document, and produces a third document which indicates (by colored <a href="/facts/Highlighter/tvtFhzz9">highlighting</a> or by differing font characteristics) information (text, graphics, formulas, etc.) that has either been added to or removed from the reference document to produce the target document.
Common documents formats for comparison include <a href="/facts/Word_processing/qAR7lagF">word processing</a> documents (e.g. <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Word/HPSu5W4j">Microsoft Word</a>), <a href="/facts/Spreadsheet/0cvc1GeB">spreadsheets</a>, presentations (e.g. <a href="/facts/Microsoft_PowerPoint/putuX423">PowerPoint</a>), and <a href="/facts/PDF/C9Mn1vYL">Portable Document Format</a> (PDF) documents.

Document comparison open-in-new

Document comparison