# Comparing changes **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [July 23, 2015, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/comparing-changes/17084 "2015-07-23T12:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zerow/32/11379_2.png) [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/comparing-changes/17084/1 "2015-07-23T12:00:36Z")
I have a group action consisting of 121 actions [steps] Although some of it have been used by me before and the new one were tested thoroughly, I'm afraid that there could be some glitch. And if I now run this on wall of my files it could result in some major data lost, to be discovered months from now So I wonder if there is some [external?] way of comparison of tag values. Whole operation would have to go something like this: 1] Load all of the files 2] Arrange them in Mp3tag by size [because it won't change after running my action and it is the most individual value of the file that I can think of] 3] Export all tag fields 4] Execute action 5] Export all tag fields 6] Compare the second export with the first one But already I can imagine that I would want to limit the comparison data and / or outcome report Limiting the comparison can be done it Mp3tag, simply by not exporting certain fields And also "limiting" the report could also be done easily: by showing only cases [values from files] where changes did occur What software could I possibly use for the latter? ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/comparing-changes/17084/2 "2015-07-23T14:02:42Z")
> [@zerow](#): > > ...: by showing only cases [values from files] where changes did occur > > What software could I possibly use for the latter? search the internet for "diff", e.g. [http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/diffutils.htm](http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/diffutils.htm) ---
**Author:** ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/comparing-changes/17084/3 "2015-07-23T16:00:05Z")
> [@zerow](#): > > ... So I wonder if there is some [external?] way of comparison of tag values. ... Compare the second export with the first one ... What software could I possibly use ... WinMerge [http://winmerge.org/?lang=ru](http://winmerge.org/?lang=ru) [http://winmerge.org/?lang=de](http://winmerge.org/?lang=de) DD.20150723.2000.CEST ---
**Author:** ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 7:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/comparing-changes/17084/4 "2015-07-24T07:24:11Z")
> [@zerow](#): > > ... 2] Arrange them in Mp3tag by size [because it won't change after running my action and it is the most individual value of the file that I can think of]... You may consider to let Mp3tag calculate a MD5 hash value for each file. - MD5-Hash of the audio part of the file: %\_md5audio% - MD5-Hash of the entire file: %\_md5% Twins-files with identical music data part ... - should have the same %\_md5audio% hash value; - but with different tag data ... should have different %\_md5% hash values. Mp3tag can calculate the MD5 hash values only when exporting data, so run a simple export script ... **$filename($getEnv('TEMP')'\Mp3tag.Hashes.txt',UTF-16)$loop(%\_path%)%\_crc%'|'%\_md5%'|'%\_md5audio%'|'%\_path% $loopend()** Afterwards use the converter "Textfile - Tag" ... and import the needed data into the files into a dedicated helper tag-field, ... and set up a column in Mp3tag listview. Action for importing ... Begin Action Group **MyMusic Import#&5 Import DD\_MD5AUDIO MD5 CRC32 from textfile** Action #1 _Actiontype 14:_ **Import text file** _Field \_\_:_ **TMP\_TEXT** _Filename:_ **$getEnv('TEMP')'\Mp3tag.Hashes.txt'** Action #2 _Actiontype 5:_ **Format value** _Field \_\_\_\_\_\_:_ **TMP\_TEXT** _Formatstring:_ **$regexp(%TMP\_TEXT%,'(?:._\n|^|\A)(.+?)|(.+?)|(.+?)|('$replace(%\_path%,'','\\')')(?:\r._|$|\Z)','$1|$2|$3|$4')** Action #3 _Actiontype 7:_ **Import tag fields (guess values)** _Source format :_ _ **%TMP\_TEXT%** Guessing pattern: **%DD**** #CRC32%|%DD **_** #MD5%|%DD\_#MD5AUDIO%|%DUMMY%** Action #4 _Actiontype 9:_ **Remove fields** _Fields to remove (semicolon separated):_ **TMP\_TEXT** End Action Group **MyMusic Import#&5 Import DD\_MD5AUDIO MD5 CRC32 from textfile** (4 Actions) DD.20150724.1124.CEST ---
**Author:** ![Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zerow/32/11379_2.png) [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/comparing-changes/17084/5 "2015-09-08T13:07:15Z")
Thank you for the sugestions ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/comparing-changes/17084/6 "2026-02-09T12:25:47Z")
Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC