It looks like WinMerge 3 is taking a lot longer than expected, so I think it makes sense to keep WinMerge 2.x alive for a while longer. At least until we get more traction on WinMerge 3.
Let's set a goal for WinMerge 2.16, so we know when it's done.
I think the goal should be to this: Release a 64 bit version of WinMerge.
I've been running a local version of WinMerge in 64 bit for almost a year now.
It runs just fine in 64 bit, but we are missing two things.
1. The plugins are not converted to 64 bit.
2. We don't have a 64 bit installer.
For the plugins I know some will say, just drop them and be done with it.
But I think our plugins is one of the features that make WinMerge stand out as a more useful tool than other compare and merge tools.
We have some plugins in C++ and some in VB6.
The C++ plugins should be fairly simple to compile in x64.
The VB6 plugins will have to be rewritten or dropped.
I suggest we drop the current VB6 plugins, unless someone volunteers to rewrite them.
Instead I suggest we try to adopt the approach that the xDofDiff Plugin has taken (see http://freemind.s57.xrea.com/xdocdiffPlugin/en/index.html for info on xDocDiff Plugin).
xDocDiff has long been the most popular 3rd party plugin for WinMerge.
It is unfortunately also build in VB6.
xDocDiff is built using xdoc2txt (see http://www31.ocn.ne.jp/~h_ishida/xdoc2txt.html for details, and for those who don't speak Japanese Google translate is your savior http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww31.ocn.ne.jp%2F~h_ishida%2Fxdoc2txt.html)
In version 2.0 of xdoc2txt there is a C++ example which could easily be extended into a WinMerge plugin.
To distribute xdoc2txt with WinMerge, we would need to contact the author and get his permission.
We would also need to contact the author to see if he can provide a 64 bit version of xdoc2txt. Without a 64 bit version, it's pointless to even try this.
If anyone would like to take on this project or have a better idea, then please let me know?
For the installer, I see several options.
1. Improve the InnoSetup installer to distribute 64 bit.
2. Improve the WiX installer to:
2a. Deliver a 32 and a 64 bit installer as separate msi files (Windows Installer does not support both in the same msi).
2b. Create a WiX bootstrapper to deliver both 32 and 64 bit in a single executable.
2c. Drop support for 32 bit and deliver only a 64 bit msi file.
I'd really like to improve the WiX installer to where it can replace the InnoSetup installer.
I think I will even take on this project myself.
Option 2c is the easiest, but dropping 32 bit support is somewhat controversial. What do you all think?
Alternatively, 2b is the easiest to figure out for our users. There will only be one executable installer to download and run, but creating a WiX bootstrapper is a non-trivial piece of work. But WiX bootstrappers are using WPF, so maybe there is a WPF programmer out there who'd like to take on this part?
We may end up starting with 2a and then we'll see what happens after that.