JBDiff is a Java-based binary diff utility that mimics the bsdiff utility written in C by Colin Percival.
JBDiff has a file format that is similar to, but presently not compatible with the bsdiff utility. The main reason behind this is that the bsdiff utility requires bzip2 for compression, which is not currently available in standard Java libraries. JBDiff, on the other hand, utilizes gzip (java.util.zip.*) for its compression needs.
However, JBDiff is known to be memory-hungry, and attempting to use it on very large files with insufficient RAM resources may lead to computer 'trashing.' Therefore, it's essential to have adequate RAM when utilizing this powerful tool. When comparing two 20MB files, you can expect that it will take about 80 seconds on a 2GHz Pentium 4 computer. Moreover, the process will need a maximum heap size of around 220 MBytes. You can adjust the heap size by utilizing the -Xmx switch for the Java Virtual Machine, as shown in the examples below.
Thankfully, the patch utility of JBDiff isn't as demanding as its diff utility and will hence require fewer resources. The software's latest version has been re-licensed to the BSD license, making it much more convenient to utilize.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a robust binary diff utility that can help you with your project, JBDiff is surely worth considering. One main advantage of JBDiff is that it is available for multiple platforms and operating systems, and it only needs the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to function. Its capacity to handle binary files is unmatched, and the results are always accurate. So, what are you waiting for? Download JBDiff today and take your binary diff utilities to the next level!
Version 0.1.1: N/A