Kaleidoscope 3 Makes a Comeback with New Tools, Redesigned Interface prMac

[prMac.com] Millstatt, Austria – A major new version of Kaleidoscope, long a popular tool for Mac software developers, has been released. Kaleidoscope aims to be the world’s most powerful file comparison app. Anyone can easily compare different text files, images, and folders on their Mac and iPad. Version 3 updates the app design for Big Sur and Monterey, and introduces dark mode. It is the first major redesign in over eight years. It also adds support for Apple Silicon-based Macs.

Kaleidoscope 3 also includes many additional new features and enhancements. It runs natively on all Macs, including those based on the Apple M1 chip. New powerful filters make it even easier for developers to compare items in changeset windows. Usability has been significantly improved with redesigned text, file, and folder comparison tools.

Christopher Atlan, developer of LetterOpener since 2006, acquired Kaleidoscope in 2020, a tool that he relies on for finding changes in code and merging them. “As developers who have long been fans of Kaleidoscope, we are able to see its great potential,” said Atlan.

Atlan emphasized that this is a long-term commitment. “It’s great to be able to bring out a modernized version with new features,” he said, “but with this new version, we make clear our commitment to Kaleidoscope’s long-term development. In fact, we decided to finance the acquisition and development with a bank loan, rather than accept outside investment that expects a quick return. We have big plans for Kaleidoscope’s future.”

What’s New in Kaleidoscope 3:
* Redesigned interface, including new dark mode and new app icon; Kaleidoscope’s design now fits macOS Big Sur and macOS Monterey
* Runs natively on all Macs, including those based on Apple silicon (Apple M1 chip)
* Reader view makes it easier to focus on the content
* Greater control over how text layout, with better font options and display choices
* Ability to ignore particular folders and files during folder compare, using powerful patterns
* Convenient filtering of items in changeset windows
* Persistent top toolbar with convenient Add and Paste buttons
* Redesigned Unified text comparison and File Shelf views to make it easier to review differences and keep track of files being compared

Kaleidoscope Features are –

Two-Way Text Comparison & Merging:
* Supports any text file, Word documents, PDF, RTF
* Fast diffing of lines and character-level changes
* Directly paste from clipboard
* Three powerful display modes: Blocks, Fluid and Unified
* Color coding to spot added, deleted, and changed text
* Powerful text layout customization
* Reader view that helps focus on content
* Built-in search

Three-Way Merge:
* Review code changes and resolve conflicts
* Edit text inline
* Intelligently auto-merge the right content

Powerful Image Comparison:
* Supports any file that can be imported as bitmap
* Directly paste from clipboard
* Compare images in four different modes: Two-Up, One-Up, Split and Difference
* Spot subtle pixel differences with a high contrast “difference mask”
* Navigate large images using pan & zoom tools

Folder Comparison:
* Fast algorithm for finding differences in large folders
* Powerful ignore patterns to exclude extraneous files and folders
* Sort and filter down to what is most important
* Drill deeper into folders for more detailed comparisons
* Copy your preferred files across sources

Code Review:
* Well-designed overview of all files changed in a changeset
* Find a file by filtering by name or by kind of change
* Inspect changes in text and image files using all of Kaleidoscope’s compare tools

Easy Workflow Integration:
* Git, Mercurial, Subversion, Bazaar, and Perforce support
* Works as a fully functional diff or merge tool
* ksdiff tool unleashes the power of the unix command-line
* Supported by a growing list of GUI source control management apps
* Integrate with the Xcode debugger (lldb) for text and graphics
* Integrates with tools like Alfred for even faster workflows

System Requirements:
* macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later

Pricing and Availability:
Kaleidoscope 3 is $149.99 (USD). For existing users, the upgrade price is $69.99. This is a one-time charge, and there is no recurring subscription. Users who purchased Kaleidoscope 2 on March 1, 2021, or later, are eligible for a free upgrade. Kaleidoscope 3 requires macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later. A full demo version is available on the Kaleidoscope website. The full version is also available for purchase on Apple’s Mac App Store. For more information, please contact Christopher Atlan.

The new Kaleidoscope team consists of Christopher Atlan, Florian Albrecht, and Dominik Wagner. All three members are longtime developers for Apple platforms. Christopher has been developing Letter Opener app for 15 years, an essential tool for converting Microsoft Outlook files. Florian most recently worked on Eve for HomeKit, and previously on Apple Design Award-winning app BoinxTV (now called mimoLive). Dominik also worked on BoinxTV, as well as winning his own Apple Design Award for SubEthaEdit, before joining Apple to work on UIKit. All Material and Software (C) Copyright 2021 Letter Opener GmbH. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh and macOS are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.

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Christopher Atlan
Owner
Austria



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