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Bundled binary and Mathematica comparisons

Settings → Diff Viewer → Advanced → Restore Defaults installs the bundled .zip, .dll, .exe, .dylib, .nb Word, Excel and LibreOffice document comparisons. Accept Advanced and Apply Settings to save the changes. Other associations are retained; existing rows keep their identity. Existing saved configurations remain authoritative until changed. Each association or the general Diff Viewer program can choose an internal, external or bundled tool. Shift reverses its enabled state for that invocation. ZIP/binary/notebook kinds are diff-only. Microsoft Word also supports the separate document merge workflow.

Binary files and native libraries

DLL/EXE comparisons adapt TortoiseGit's diff-dll.js. A read-only native result reports Files are identical or Files differ!, byte sizes, content changes and available versions. The native result uses an information or warning symbol, selectable text, scrolling and OK/Escape. Its light/dark appearance follows the initiating comparison. Files with the same size are compared byte-for-byte in cancellable chunks. Unknown/malformed version metadata does not prevent the byte comparison; the report states that no version information is available.

Portable executable version information comes from the PE32/PE32+ RT_VERSION resource and fixed file-version fields. The native .dylib extension adapts that idea to Mach-O LC_ID_DYLIB current versions, including endian/32/64-bit variants and universal slices. CPU labels identify versions in universal libraries. Library versions and Windows file versions have different meanings; these are reported metadata, not signing, integrity or compatibility judgments. Executable code is never loaded or run to inspect it. The report is independent once opened; closing the original comparison does not invalidate it. Original bytes are not rewritten and there is no automatic staging or resolution.

Mathematica notebooks

The .nb adaptation follows diff-nb.js: open a generated notebook containing Compare Notebooks. The button invokes AuthorTools' NotebookDiff for the two captured inputs. It requires an installed Mathematica environment with that functionality and a suitable .nb file association. TurtleGit opens the generated notebook through the macOS association; it does not press the comparison button or evaluate notebook contents itself. A missing/refused receiver reports an error in the initiating comparison and leaves the originals intact.

Private read-only copies preserve the exact selected historical or working bytes and each input's filename. The generated driver is noneditable/nonsaveable and uses quoted literal paths, including escaped quotes, backslashes, control characters and Unicode. Character-code escaping follows Wolfram's documented input syntax. No shell interprets filenames. Failed preparation/launch removes its private files. Successful driver/inputs remain available after TurtleGit exits because the button may be pressed later; Settings → Saved Data → Temp files or system temporary cleanup can remove them. Reopen the original comparison to capture newer bytes.

Preparation and an outstanding macOS launch callback retain their own Quit guard. Closing/cancelling before dispatch rejects a late handoff. If the SDK reports an already accepted launch after the owner closes, the successful private inputs are retained for the receiver; no obsolete error or replacement native window opens.

Acceptance still open

Core and native checks distinguish local binary parsing and generated notebook handoff from actually executing Mathematica. The latter, physical popup/keyboard/ VoiceOver, all PE resource languages, exotic Mach-O slices, real receiver grants, signed Finder/App Store access and full source dialog parity remain open. Word comparison is documented in its native adapter guide. The Excel adapter now covers workbook comparisons. The LibreOffice adapter adds UNO comparison and tracked-change merge handoff; live LibreOffice acceptance remains open. PowerPoint comparison remains open.

Native captures

The actual owned binary result window, captured by the macOS compositor in Aqua and Dark Aqua. Long result text scrolls. These captures cover the native binary report only; they do not show Mathematica execution or establish every dialog's visual parity.