Compare Docs

Document Comparison Skill

This skill compares two documents to find substantive differences, errors, or inconsistencies. It is particularly useful for legal contracts, financial reports, or revised document versions.

Usage

# Compare two specific files
/compare-docs file1.docx file2.docx

# Compare with specific focus
/compare-docs file1.docx file2.docx --focus "financial data"

Workflow

1. Input Verification:

   • Verify both input files exist.
   • Determine file type (.docx, .pdf, .md, .txt).

2. Content Extraction:

   • If files are .docx, use pandoc to convert them to Markdown for clear text analysis.

     pandoc -t markdown "file1.docx" -o "file1.md"
     pandoc -t markdown "file2.docx" -o "file2.md"
     

   • If files are .pdf, use available PDF reading tools.

3. Analysis & Comparison:

   • Read the extracted content.
   • Compare the documents section by section or key-value by key-value.
   • Focus Areas:
     • Numbers & Dates: Check for discrepancies in financial figures, dates, percentages, and quantities.
     • Key Clauses: Identify added, removed, or modified clauses (especially in legal/contractual contexts).
     • Definitions: Check for changes in defined terms.
   • Note: Ignore minor formatting changes unless explicitly requested.

4. Report Generation:

   • Create a Markdown report (comparison_report.md) structured as follows:
     • Summary: Brief overview of the comparison result.
     • Critical Differences (High Risk): Data mismatches, missing clauses, conflicting obligations.
     • Substantive Changes: Changes in meaning or scope.
     • Stylistic/Format Changes: (Optional) Brief mention of layout or phrasing changes that don't alter meaning.
     • Recommendations: Actionable advice based on findings.

5. Output formatting & Delivery:

   • Convert the Markdown report to a professional .docx document using pandoc.

     pandoc "comparison_report.md" -o "Comparison_Report.docx"
     

   • Open the file: Automatically open the generated document so the user can view it immediately.
     • On macOS: open "Comparison_Report.docx"
     • On Windows: start "Comparison_Report.docx"
     • On Linux: xdg-open "Comparison_Report.docx"
   • Inform the user of the report location.

6. Cleanup:

   • Remove temporary intermediate files (e.g., converted .md files) to keep the workspace clean.

Example Output Structure

Comparison Report

1. Executive Summary

...

2. Key Discrepancies

3. Detailed Clause Analysis

...