A document revision comparison lets you inspect the changes between two saved versions of a document. Use it when you need to review what changed before returning to the document record or continuing with document changes.
| If you need to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Confirm what must exist before comparing | Before you start |
| Reach the comparison surface | Find and open the comparison |
| Identify the selectors and comparison views | Understand the comparison screen |
| Compare two saved versions | Compare two selected versions |
| Review totals or the complete revision history | Review statistics and the version timeline |
| Resolve a loading, empty, or failed state | When comparison does not load |
| Continue after reviewing changes | After reviewing the revisions |
| Find and open a document | Documents overview |
| Create the saved revisions you need | Create and edit a document |
| Review broader document states and actions | Document changes |
| Continue to published documentation | Published documentation |
Before you start
A saved revision is a version of the document that you can select as the earlier or later side of a comparison.
Prerequisites
- Know which document you want to review.
- Have saved revisions available for that document.
- Have the earlier revision available for From version.
- Have the later revision available for To version.
If the document has no saved revisions, the comparison surface shows
Nothing to compare yet and This document has no saved revisions to compare.
The page also tells you Edit and save the document to create its first revision.
With one revision, To version can contain that revision while From version remains empty. With at least two revisions, the page initially selects the second-latest revision for From version and the latest revision for To version.
Find and open the comparison
The comparison surface belongs to an existing document record. From the document record, open the comparison surface.
Return to the document
Use this procedure when you have finished reviewing the differences or when you need to leave an empty or failed comparison state.
Prerequisites
- Have the comparison surface open.
Steps
- Select Go back.
Result: The document record opens.
Understand the comparison screen
The comparison screen is a workspace for choosing revisions and changing how their differences are displayed.
| Area | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Revision selectors | Each selector starts with Select version…; choose the earlier revision in From version and the later revision in To version. |
| View mode | Choose Unified, Side-by-side, or Timeline. |
| Statistics | Select Stats to show Lines added, Lines removed, and Lines modified when comparison statistics are available. |
| Difference content | Read a unified difference, separate FROM and TO panes, or the consecutive changes in the timeline. |
In Timeline mode, the revision selectors are hidden because the timeline
covers the revision history. In the other view modes, the selectors remain
available. When either revision selection is empty, the comparison area shows
Pick two versions and Select two versions above to compare them.
The comparison surface uses difference lines and comparison panes rather than a data grid. It does not provide document-editing controls such as text, date, checkbox, radio, or upload fields, or a save or submit action.
Compare two selected versions
Use this procedure to inspect the differences between an earlier and a later saved revision.
Prerequisites
- Have the comparison surface open.
- Have two saved revisions available.
Steps
-
In From version, open the version list.
-
Select the earlier revision.
-
In To version, open the version list.
-
Select the later revision.
-
Select one comparison view.
If you want to… Select Read changes in one continuous difference view Unified Read the earlier and later content in separate panes Side-by-side Review each consecutive change across the revision history Timeline -
Read the difference content in the selected view.
If the two selected revisions have no textual differences, the unified view
shows No textual changes between these versions.
Result: The selected comparison view shows the differences between the chosen revisions, or shows the no-change message when their text is the same.
Review statistics and the version timeline
Use this procedure when you want a summary of the changes or want to review all consecutive revision pairs.
Prerequisites
- Have the comparison surface open.
- Have comparison statistics or at least two saved revisions available for the view you want to use.
Steps
-
Choose the review you need.
If you want to… Do this Read a summary of the comparison Select Stats, then read Lines added, Lines removed, and Lines modified. Review consecutive revision pairs Select Timeline, then read the changes from newest to oldest. -
If you selected Timeline, read the loading or empty-history message when it appears.
The timeline compares each consecutive revision pair. If the timeline has not
loaded, it shows Loading full version history…. If there is no version history,
it shows No version history yet, Edit and save the document a few times to build up a timeline., and Changes between saved versions will appear here, newest first.
Result: The statistics panel or timeline gives you the selected summary of the changes available for the document.
When comparison does not load
Use the message on screen to choose the next action.
| What you see | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
Loading revisions… | The revision list is loading. | Wait for the revision selectors to appear. |
Comparison failed to load. | The comparison request failed. | Select Back to document. |
Failed to load revisions | The revision list could not be loaded. | Select Back to document. |
Failed to load comparison | The selected comparison could not be loaded. | Select Back to document. |
Nothing to compare yet | The document has no saved revisions. | Edit and save the document to create a revision. |
This document has no saved revisions to compare. | There are no saved revisions for this document. | Edit and save the document to create its first revision. |
Pick two versions | One or both revision selections are empty. | Choose a value in From version and To version. |
Select two versions above to compare them. | The comparison needs two selected versions. | Choose both revisions before reading the difference. |
No textual changes between these versions. | The selected revisions contain no textual differences. | Review the revision metadata or choose another pair. |
Loading full version history… | The timeline is loading consecutive comparisons. | Wait for the timeline to finish loading. |
No version history yet | The document has no timeline history to display. | Edit and save the document a few times to build up a timeline. |
Edit and save the document a few times to build up a timeline. | More saved revisions are needed for a timeline. | Save additional document revisions. |
Changes between saved versions will appear here, newest first. | The timeline has no changes to show. | Save additional document revisions. |
This revision has no textual differences from the previous one. | A timeline revision matches the previous revision's text. | Continue reviewing the timeline or choose another comparison pair. |
Back to document | The available recovery or return action. | Select Back to document. |
After reviewing the revisions
The comparison result is a review point. After reviewing the change or resolving the displayed state, return to the document record for the next document action.
Prerequisites
- Have reviewed the relevant difference view or resolved the displayed state.
Steps
- Select Go back.
- Continue from the document record.
Result: The document record is open for the next document task. For the document's broader states and actions, continue with Document changes. For published reader-facing routes, continue with Published documentation.
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