Free Update Compare

How the two files are matched

Activities are matched by Activity ID. Not by name, and not by project ID.

Here is why. Scheduling software usually needs a new project ID for each update. So monthly updates of the same schedule often have different project names, but share nearly all their activities.

Two checks run before you see the results:

• If the file you gave as last month's has the later data date, the page tells you and offers to swap them.
• If fewer than 1 in 5 of the smaller file's Activity IDs are in the other file, the page warns you. The files may be two different projects, or a copy with new IDs. Nearly every row would then show as added and deleted.

Reading the tables

• Start and finish changes are in calendar days. The biggest finish change comes first.
• Original and remaining durations are in working days, on each activity's own calendar, as each file has them.
• Total float changes are in working days, as saved in the files. The biggest change comes first.
• A relationship is a link between two activities. If its type or lag changed, it shows up twice: once as deleted and once as added. That way no change is hidden.
• Each table shows its first 500 rows. Click Show all to see the rest.

What stays on your computer

• This browser tab opens both files. They are never uploaded.
• Nothing is saved.
• The page sends Pathizer a short note at three steps: when the tool opens, when a file loads and when a result shows.
• Each note says only the step and the tool's name. It has nothing from either file.
• Ad tags do not load on this page.
• You do not need an account.

Step by step

1. Export this month's update and last month's from your scheduling software as .XER files. Each can be up to 20 MB.
2. Drop last month's file in the Last month's update box on the left. Drop the latest in the box on the right.
3. Check the file table: data dates, project finish, and how many activities and relationships each file has.
4. Read the added and deleted activities first. Then read the date, duration and float changes.
5. Finish with the relationships added and deleted. They often explain the date changes above them.

What it does not do

These tables list what is different between two files. Pathizer Enterprise does the deeper review across your whole update history: what drove each change, who it is attributed to, and a drafted narrative.

• Update Compare does not say why a date moved or who moved it.
• It does not separate progress from changes to the schedule itself.
• It does not run a scheduling engine.

Questions

Is Update Compare free?

Yes. It costs nothing. You do not need an account or a card.

Does it say why a date moved?

No. It lists what changed between the two files. It does not say why a date moved or who moved it. Pathizer Enterprise reviews the full update history and drafts a narrative for your scheduler to review.

How large can the files be?

Each file can be up to 20 MB.

Do the two files need the same project ID?

No. Activities are matched by Activity ID. If so few IDs match that the files are probably not updates of the same schedule, the page warns you.

Where does the project finish come from?

From the project's scheduled finish saved in the file, if it has one. If not, from the latest activity finish in the file.

Why did a relationship show up twice?

Its type or lag changed. The old one is listed under deleted, and the new one under added. That way you see the change in both tables.

Can it compare .XML files?

No. Update Compare opens .XER files only. The free Schedule Viewer opens .XML schedule files, one at a time.