A little guidance, when you need it.
Choose the right comparison, understand the boundaries and get a result you can review.
Which comparison should I use?
Text Compare ↗
For checklists, prose, logs and line edits. Aligns matching lines; an edit appears as a removal plus an addition.
JSON Compare ↗
For configuration and API values. Ignores object key order, preserves types and compares arrays by index.
CSV Compare ↗
For records and exports. Use an exact unique key to match reordered rows, or compare by row position.
Files and everyday use
How do I open both files?
Use Open file in each input pane, or drag one UTF-8 file onto each pane. Swap inputs reverses Before and After and clears the old result.
What happens when I change input or settings?
The previous result is cleared immediately so you cannot accidentally export a stale result. Use the action button or Ctrl+Enter (Command+Enter on macOS) to run again.
Why does my file fail to import?
Inputs must be UTF-8 text and at most 1 MiB each. XLSX, PDFs and binary formats are not supported. Export a spreadsheet as CSV first.
Can I open a file from a URL?
There is no remote-file fetch. Open a local file or paste its contents.
How do I save a comparison?
Download saves the complete text or JSON report. Print report opens your browser print dialog; choose a printer or Save as PDF if your browser provides it. Active matching settings are included.
Why did a large job stop?
Processing has a six-second deadline and explicit size limits. Text comparisons also bound line count and unmatched line pairs. Split large inputs into meaningful sections.
Privacy and accuracy
Are inputs uploaded or stored?
Tool processing runs in your browser. Input is not sent to a conversion server or saved as history. Hosting requests still occur when loading the website. Read Privacy for the distinction.
How do I switch between light and dark mode?
Use the sun or moon button in the header. The first visit follows your system preference. A manual selection is remembered in this browser; clearing site storage resets it to the system preference. The setting stores no tool input.
Will my results survive a refresh?
Do not rely on it. SyntaxPad does not persist input or output. Copy or download anything you want to keep before leaving.
Does successful conversion prove my data is correct?
No. A file may be syntactically valid but fail your application’s requirements. Review identifiers, units, required fields and conversion losses.
Why use fictional examples?
They make behavior reproducible without exposing customer data. Each tutorial provides files, settings and expected results.
How can I report a problem?
Use Contact and send the tool URL, browser, settings and a small fictional input. Include the expected and actual result.