Workshare DeltaView 2.8

Workshare DeltaView 2.8

Workshare DeltaView 2.8 is a utility that provides industrial-strength redlining of different documents, including documents in different formats. It works with Microsoft Word and, with significant limitations, Corel WordPerfect.

Depending on your setup, you might be able to compare a WordPerfect version of a document to the Word version. This can be invaluable for firms working with multiple document formats. Workshare DeltaView also works with the major document management programs, such as iManage, Docs Open and Worldox.

Workshare DeltaView can be launched by itself or from a button bar inside Word. The user selects the original document, then the modified document, then the redlining preferences and Workshare DeltaView goes to work.

Results can be displayed either in the traditional full-page view, or in the three-pane format that Microsoft Outlook made popular. You see the redlined version on the bottom, and the original and revised versions on the top panes. As you scroll through the redlined version, the top panes synchronize automatically, so it’s feasible to compare the versions onscreen, rather than physically laying out the pieces of paper on your desk.

In my testing, features notorious for creating problems in other products (such as the now-discontinued LexisNexis CompareRite) performed flawlessly. Changes to tables, footnotes and paragraph numbering, as well as font and style changes, were all listed correctly.

A minor problem was the page numbers in a generated table of contents didn’t line up properly. In some cases, there can be problems with minor changes to similar footnotes not being dealt with correctly.

In addition, to exclude text (such as tables or graphics) from comparison, you must manually enter a string of code in both versions of the document.

For the end-user, creating a standard format takes some patience and the ability to work through the many options available on the “Rendering Set Management” screen. However, since Workshare DeltaView allows you to have an unlimited number of formats, once this is done, operation is quite easy.

Workshare DeltaView also installs to Outlook 2000 or above and allows you to redline attached documents. For example, you might use DeltaView on a document you sent out for revisions that has been returned via e-mail.

When LexisNexis discontinued the previous market leader, CompareRite, 1 1/2 years ago, Workshare DeltaView became the only game in town. Workshare DeltaView’s pricing has generated a certain amount of controversy, especially for small firms. The buy-in point for one to 20 users, including the 20 percent Software Support Subscription, is $3,400 without document management functionality and $4,000 with document management. Is it worth the price?

If your firm is using Word 2000 or earlier, you don’t have much of a choice. In fact, the “Word Legal User’s Guide” on the Microsoft Web site (http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/
legal/track%20changes.asp) “recommends that most law firms use a third party solution for document comparison. … Microsoft Word’s compare documents features works on relatively simple documents that do not contain too much complex formatting. Because of the complex nature of most legal documents, Word’s compare documents feature does not produce as good a result as the third party products. …”

Even though Word 2002 has improved its comparison features, I would still recommend Workshare DeltaView as the only reliable option. If you are using WordPerfect 9 or above, small firms might be better off using its built-in document comparison feature, which provides functionality roughly equivalent to the old CompareRite by LexisNexis.

Since Workshare DeltaView uses Word to convert WordPerfect documents to rich-text format to do the comparison, you must have Word installed to even use Workshare DeltaView, and formatting might not be accurate or features such as tables or paragraph numbering might not compare correctly. In addition, you can’t print the redlined Workshare DeltaView result in WordPerfect.

If you rely heavily on redlining documents, and if you are using Word, Workshare DeltaView is a must-have add-on. Otherwise, you might find the price structure too steep.

Workshare
(888) 404-4246

www.workshare.com

Price: Business Edition — $3,400 (up to 20 users) plus 20 percent Software Support Subscription without DMS integration; $4,000 with DMS plus 20 percent SSS (up
to 20 users)

Windows 98/NT/2000/XP

Reviewed by John Heckman, principal of Heckman Consulting located in Old Saybrook, Conn.

Jun/Jul '03 Issue

PROS
Flawless comparison of Word documents. Facilitates on-screen redlining.

CONS
Some setup functions are clumsy; only partial support for WordPerfect. Very steep price for small firms.

VERDICT
This is a must-have if you use redlining regularly. It has excellent comparison features.