Software:File Compare

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Short description: Command-line program that compares multiple files
fc
Microsoft Windows 95 Version 4.00.1111 fc command 492x259.png
The Microsoft Windows 95 fc command
Original author(s)Mani A. Ulloa[1]
Developer(s)Microsoft, IBM, Digital Research, Novell
Initial release1984, 39–40 years ago
Written inMS-DOS: x86 assembly language
FreeDOS: C
Operating systemMS-DOS, PC DOS, OS/2, eComStation, ArcaOS, Windows, DR DOS, FreeDOS
PlatformCross-platform
TypeCommand
LicenseMS-DOS: MIT
FreeDOS: GPLv2+
Websitedocs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/fc

In computing, fc (File Compare) is a command-line program in DOS, IBM OS/2 and Microsoft Windows operating systems, that compares multiple files and outputs the differences between them.[2][3] It is similar to the Unix commands comm, cmp and diff.

History

The fc command has been included in Microsoft operating systems since MS-DOS 2.11 (e.g. on the 1984/85 DEC Rainbow release)[4] and is included in all versions of Microsoft Windows.[5] fc has also been included in IBM OS/2 Version 2.0.[6]

DR DOS 6.0 includes an implementation of the fc command.[7]

The command is also available in FreeDOS. This implementation is licensed under the GPLv2+.[8]

Functionality

fc can compare text files as well as binary files.[9] The latest versions[which?] can compare ASCII or Unicode text. The result of comparisons are output to the standard output. The output of fc is intended primarily to be human readable and may be difficult to use in other programs.

See also

References

Further reading

  • Special Edition Using MS-DOS 6.22, Third Edition. Que Publishing. 2001. ISBN 978-0789725738. 
  • John Paul Mueller (2007). Windows Administration at the Command Line for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0470165799. 

External links