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Compare Event Groups

When a project has gone through multiple rounds of editing — whether by different team members, across different language tracks, or after a client has returned revisions — it is common to end up with two versions of the same event group that have diverged from each other. The Compare Event Groups tool provides a side-by-side diff view that makes it straightforward to see exactly what has changed and decide which version of each difference should be kept.

Opening the Comparison View​

To compare two event groups, open the event group options menu by clicking the menu icon next to the event group tab. Navigate to the Combine and Compare tab in the resulting dialog and click Compare Event Groups.

Selecting Groups to Compare​

The comparison view presents two event group selectors at the top: Group A on the left and Group B on the right. Use these dropdowns to select the two event groups you want to compare. Any event groups in the current project are available for selection, including groups representing different languages, different versions of the same track, or a merged copy produced by a previous combination operation.

Event group selectors and filters in comparison view

Reading the Diff​

Once both groups are selected, the centre column of the view displays a line-by-line diff between them. Events that are identical in both groups appear without any badge. Events where the content or timing differs between the two versions are shown with a modified badge, which draws your attention to the places where the two groups have diverged.

The side-by-side layout allows you to read both versions of a modified event at the same time, which is essential for making an informed decision about which version is correct. In many cases the right answer will be clear immediately — one version contains a correction that the other is missing. In other cases, especially where both versions contain legitimate editorial changes, the diff view provides the context you need to make a judgment call.

Merging Changes​

For each modified event, the controls in the centre column allow you to merge in either direction: from Group A into Group B, or from Group B into Group A. Applying a merge replaces the content of the target event with the content of the source event for that specific difference.

Merges can be applied selectively rather than in bulk. There is no requirement to choose a single direction for the entire comparison — you can accept Group A's version for some events and Group B's version for others, building the final result from the best of both versions.

Exporting a Comparison Report​

When you need to share the differences between two event groups with a client or production team, the comparison can be exported as a CSV file. The export includes the event timecodes and the content from both groups for each modified event, making it easy to review in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets without requiring access to Closed Caption Creator.

  • Event Approval and Notes — mark decisions on individual events during the review process
  • Manual QC — track editorial findings that arise during comparison reviews
  • Running a Review — run a full style-guide scan on a merged result to confirm it meets delivery requirements