Comparison

The differences between 2 msi files can be visually displayed by using the compare feature of MSIStudio. These differences can be displayed in multiple easy to view formats. This allows developers to isolate the changes made between 2 setup packages.

Colors are used to give the user a instant visual clue as to where any differences exist. Some rows might be added or removed from the table while others might just be modified. In the table content window on the right any differences are made clear.

Table Format Differences
While the Structure of most MSI files follow a specific standard, the MSI creator does not have to follow that standard when creating an MSI file. Some tables can have slightly shorter integers for example or the custom tables can be included in an MSI. Any table format differences between two MSI files can easily be identified at a glance. In the table list matching tables with no content differences can be optionally displayed or hidden. When tables match there is no background coloring, however when there are differences they have a coloured background and may have a duplicate entry (in the case of a non-identical table format. In the table content window on the right the column headings contain the name and type of each field in the table.

Summary
The Summarized screen displays high level differences between the MSI files such as Title, Author and Creation date. Any differences between the two files are highlighted with a background color for ease of viewing.