How to Check Variances and Between two offline Word Documents

Summary

Learn How to Check Variances and Between two offline Word Documents using Microsoft Word’s “Compare” feature. This allows you to view differences in content, formatting, insertions, and deletions in a side-by-side layout. Catina does not have a built-in variance check, but you can use Microsoft Word’s “Compare” feature to identify differences between a Catina draft and an offline Word document. This method displays insertions, deletions, and formatting changes in a clear, side-by-side view.

How to Check Variances Between a Catina Document and an Offline Document 

1. Use Microsoft Word’s “Compare” Feature If both documents are in Word (.docx) f

   2. Download the Catina document (if it's in draft mode, export it as Word).

   3. Open Microsoft Word.

   4. Go to the Review tab.

   5. Click Compare > Compare…

   6. Upload: 

• Original document = the version from Catina
• Revised document = your offline version Word will generate a side-by-side comparison showing insertions, deletions, and formatting changes.

   7. Select Yes

   8. Compared Results

What You Can Do with the Results

• Review each change one-by-one using the Review tab > Next / Previous Change buttons.

• Accept or Reject Changes using:

  • Review tab > Accept or Reject to keep or remove changes.

  • You can also right-click a change to accept/reject it quickly.

• Save the Comparison Result as a separate document if you need to share it or keep a record.

• Copy/paste individual changes into your Catina document if needed, since Catina doesn’t accept redlines directly.

Understanding & Using the Comparison Results in Word

1. Left Panel – Revisions Pane (if visible):
   This shows a list of all the tracked changes (insertions, deletions, formatting) in summary form. You can scroll through to quickly see what was changed.

2. Center Panel – Compared Document:
   This is the key working document. It shows the original with tracked changes (redlines). You’ll see:

   • Insertions: Underlined and in a different color (usually red or blue).

   • Deletions: Shown with strikethrough.

   • Formatting Changes: Marked in the margin or in the Revisions Pane.

3. Right Panel – Original & Revised Docs (Optional):
   These show side-by-side views of the original and revised files. Use these if you need to visually compare layout or content in full.

NOTE: With online documents, you can leverage the preview feature to generate a full markup version or use the compare feature to view different iterations

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I compare a final Catina document using Word's Compare feature?
A: No, you must first revert the document to draft and export it as a Word file. Only Word documents can be used in the comparison process.

Q: Will Word show formatting differences in the comparison?
A: Yes, Word will highlight formatting changes along with insertions and deletions. You can customize which changes are shown in the comparison settings.

Q: What if my Catina document is a PDF?
A: Word’s Compare feature only works with .docx files. You’ll need to export the Catina document as a Word file first.

Q: Can I upload the comparison results back into Catina?
A: No, the comparison is for review purposes only. Any changes you'd like to include must be manually updated in Catina.

Q: Does Catina have its own comparison tool?
A: Not currently. For now, Microsoft Word's Compare feature is the recommended workaround for checking variances.