file compare command

You can use the Windows command fc (standing for file compare) to detect differences between two text files.

If you have three text files like these in a folder:

You can run the fc commands below to

a. show any differences between the two files:

fc "C:\foofolder3\test1.txt" "C:\foofolder3\test2.txt"

. . . and the complete differences will be shown.

b. show when two files are identical

fc "C:\foofolder3\test1.txt" "C:\foofolder3\test2.txt"

. . . notice since these files are the same you get the message, "no differences encountered"

c. a command with /LBn , where n = a number of different lines in the two files after which you want the comparison to cease.

fc /LB1 "C:\foofolder3\test1.txt" "C:\foofolder3\test2.txt"