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TSTool / Command / CompareTables

Overview

The CompareTables command compares columns from two tables, with the following considerations:

  • Comparisons are made using the data values formatted as strings based on the precision shown in tables. If the table was read with ReadTableFromDelimitedFile, the precision for floating point numbers is set based on the largest number of digits after the decimal encountered in the input.
  • A precision and tolerance can optionally be specified to control the comparison of floating point values.
  • The first table's content is considered the primary content for comparison purposes. If the second table is shorter than the first, additional empty rows are added for comparison.
  • Currently there is no way to align rows from the first and second table, such as by matching identifiers in a column. Filtering must have been done previously, such as by using SQL for database queries or the CopyTable command
  • Empty tables or tables of different length generate an additional warning and are not subject to the AllowedDiff command parameter.

An optional table and file showing the comparison results can be created:

  • Values that are the same are shown in the new table without modification.
  • Values that are different result in both table values being shown (as strings) to allow comparison.
  • The command also allows the comparison table to be output to an HTML file, in which case different values are shown as red.

Command Editor

The following dialog is used to edit the command and illustrates the command syntax.

CompareTables

CompareTables Command Editor (see also the full-size image)

Command Syntax

The command syntax is as follows:

CompareTables(Parameter="Value",...)

Command Parameters

Parameter                Description Default                     
TableID1
required		 The identifier for the first table to be compared. None – must be specified.
TableID2
required		 The identifier for the second table to be compared. None – must be specified.
CompareColumns1 The names of columns to be compared from the first table, separated by commas. All columns will be compared.
CompareColumns2 The names of columns to be compared from the second table, separated by commas. All columns will be compared.
Precision The number of digits after the decimal to consider when comparing floating point values. If values are different to the specified (or default) precision, both values are shown in the comparison table. Format floating point numbers as strings for comparison according to the table column precision.
Tolerance A value indicating the allowed difference between floating point values. The tolerance should be consistent with the precision (i.e., don’t specify a coarse precision and fine tolerance). If the difference is less than the tolerance, the values will not be marked as different. Floating point values must exactly match, according to the precision.
AllowedDiff The allowed number of differences before triggering a Warn/Fail message (see IfDifferent). A value >= 0 indicates that the number of differences must be the same as the specified value. A negative value indicates that the number of differences can be less than or equal to the specified value. This parameter is useful for constructing tests where a specified number of differences is expected. 0
NewTableID The identifier for the new comparison table. Table1ID-Table2ID-comparison
OutputFile If specified, an HTML table will be created for the comparison table, in which different values are highlighted in red. No HTML output file will be created.
IfDifferent Indicates the action to be taken if the tables are different:
  • Ignore – do not generate warning
  • Warn – generate a warning message
  • Fail – generate a failure message
 Do not generate a warning if the tables are different.
IfSame Indicates the action to be taken if the tables are the same:
  • Ignore – do not generate warning
  • Warn – generate a warning message
  • Fail – generate a failure message
 Do not generate a warning if the tables are the same.

Examples

See the automated tests.

Troubleshooting

See Also