Changing the diff- and merge tool for TFS 

TFS has it's own tool for comparing and merging different versions of files. If you don't like this default tool and rather use another, this can be configured in TFS. You can configure this in Visual Studio via tools -> options -> source control -> visual studio team foundation server -> configure user tools.

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James Manning describes in more details how this can be done on his blog. He also mentiones some alternative tools that can be used, and the necessary command arguments. This is the list of tools he mentions:

Compare Tools:

Product Command Arguments
TFS default diffmerge.exe %1 %2 %6 %7 %5 /ignorespace
WinDiff windiff.exe %1 %2
DiffDoc (for Word files) DiffDoc.exe /M%1 /S%2
WinMerge winmerge.exe /ub /dl %6 /dr %7 %1 %2
Beyond Compare bc2.exe %1 %2 /title1=%6 /title2=%7
KDiff3 kdiff3.exe %1 --fname %6 %2 --fname %7
Araxis compare.exe /wait /2 /title1:%6 /title2:%7 %1 %2
Compare It! Wincmp3.exe %1 /=%6 %2 /=%7
SourceGear DiffMerge DiffMerge.exe /title1=%6 /title2=%7 %1 %2
Beyond Compare 3 BComp.exe %1 %2 /title1=%6 /title2=%7
TortoiseMerge TortoiseMerge.exe /base:%1 /mine:%2 /basename:%6 /minename:%7

 

Merge Tools:

Product Command Arguments
TFS default diffmerge.exe /merge %1 %2 %3 %4 %6 %7
KDiff3 kdiff3.exe %3 --fname %8 %2 --fname %7 %1 --fname %6 -o %4
Visual SourceSafe ssexp.exe /merge %1 %2 %3 %4 %6 %7
Araxis compare.exe /wait /swap /a3 /3 /title1:%6 /title2:%7 /title3:%8 %1 %2 %3 %4
Beyond Compare (2-way merge) bc2.exe %1 %2 /savetarget=%4 /title1=%6 /title2=%7
WinMerge (2-way merge) winmerge.exe /ub /dl %6 /dr %7 %1 %2 %4
Guiffy guiffy.exe -s -h1%6 -h2%7 -hm%9 %1 %2 %3 %4
Ellie Computing guimerge.exe --mode=merge3 %3 %1 %2 --to=%4 --title0=%8 --title1=%6 --title2=%7 --to-title=%9
SourceGear DiffMerge DiffMerge.exe /title1=%6 /title2=%8 /title3=%7 /result=%4 %1 %3 %2
Beyond Compare 3 BComp.exe %1 %2 %3 %4 /title1=%6 /title2=%7 /title3=%8 /title4=%9
TortoiseMerge TortoiseMerge.exe /base:%3 /mine:%2 /theirs:%1 /basename:%8 /minename:%7 /theirsname:%6 /merged:%4 /mergedname:%9
Posted on 17-01-2009 by Martin Opdam
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Tags: Visual Studio

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19-02-2009 by Justin Chase

You're a life saver!

 
22-10-2009 by Tino Klijn

Thanks Martin, In this project we used tortoiseMerge but I couldnt get used to it. So installed DiffMerge and used this post for the settings..

 
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