Changelog - Musfiq0/enhanced-screens-comparison GitHub Wiki

📋 Changelog

All notable changes to the Enhanced Screenshot Comparison Tool will be documented in this file.

The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.

[3.3.0] - "Cross-Platform Revolution"

🌟 Major Features Added

  • 🖥️ Full Cross-Platform Support: Now works natively on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Docker containers
  • 🐳 Complete Docker Integration: Containerized deployment with GUI support via X11 forwarding
  • 🔧 Intelligent Auto-Setup: New setup.py script with automatic platform detection and configuration
  • 🏗️ Universal Build System: Platform-specific builders and unified Makefile for all operating systems

✨ New Components

  • Cross-Platform Launchers:
    • start_here.sh for macOS/Linux (equivalent to Windows START_HERE.bat)
    • docker_helper.sh for Docker management across all platforms
    • docker_helper.ps1 for native Windows PowerShell Docker support
  • Build Scripts:
    • build_app.py for macOS application bundles (.app)
    • build_linux.py for Linux binaries and AppImages
    • Makefile with cross-platform build automation
  • Docker Support:
    • Dockerfile with multi-stage builds and GUI support
    • docker-compose.yml with multiple service configurations
    • .dockerignore for optimized container builds
  • Validation Tools:
    • validate_cross_platform.py for comprehensive compatibility testing
    • Automated testing of all platform-specific functionality

🎨 GUI Enhancements

  • Platform-Aware Themes: Automatic theme selection (Windows: vista, macOS: aqua, Linux: clam)
  • Enhanced Drag & Drop: Improved cross-platform file path handling and normalization
  • Better Error Handling: Graceful fallbacks for missing platform-specific features
  • Cross-Platform File Dialogs: Native file dialog integration for all supported platforms

🖥️ Terminal Improvements

  • Cross-Platform Colored Output: Enhanced colorama integration for consistent terminal colors
  • Environment Variable Support: NO_COLOR and TTY detection for better compatibility
  • Improved Path Handling: Universal path normalization using os.path.normpath()

📚 Documentation Overhaul

  • Updated README.md: Comprehensive cross-platform installation and usage guides
  • Enhanced Installation.md: Platform-specific instructions for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Docker
  • New Setup Guides: Step-by-step guides for each platform with troubleshooting sections
  • Docker Documentation: Complete containerization guides and best practices

🔧 Technical Improvements

  • Enhanced Requirements: Cross-platform compatible dependencies with proper version constraints
  • Better Error Handling: Improved error messages and recovery for platform-specific issues
  • Code Compatibility: Ensured all Python code works identically across platforms
  • Build Automation: Streamlined build processes for all target platforms

🛡️ Backward Compatibility

  • 100% Windows Compatibility: All existing Windows functionality preserved unchanged
  • Existing Scripts Maintained: START_HERE.bat, build_exe.py, and all Windows launchers work identically
  • Settings Preservation: All configuration and user preferences maintained

[3.2.0] - "Professional CLI Revolution"

🚀 Major Features Added

  • 🖥️ Advanced Command-Line Interface: Brand new comp-cli.py with complete CLI control
  • ⚡ Professional Automation: Full automation support for CI/CD pipelines and batch processing
  • 📝 Configuration Files: JSON-based configuration system for repeatable workflows
  • 🎯 Multiple Workflow Modes: Source-encode, multiple-source, and custom comparison modes

✨ New Components

  • comp-cli.py: Complete command-line interface with argparse
  • sample_config.json: Example configuration for automated workflows
  • run_advanced_cli.bat: Dedicated launcher for CLI mode
  • Enhanced START_HERE.bat: New option 3 for Advanced CLI access

🎨 Interface Improvements

  • Three-Mode System: GUI, Interactive CLI, and Advanced CLI options
  • Professional Arguments: Full command-line argument support with help system
  • Batch Processing: Support for automated video comparison workflows
  • Enhanced Help System: Comprehensive documentation and examples

📋 CLI Features

  • Video Input Modes: Support for source-encode pairs and multiple-source comparisons
  • Advanced Cropping: Preset crop ratios and custom crop coordinates
  • Upload Automation: Automatic slow.pics upload with collection naming
  • Configuration Support: JSON config files for complex workflows
  • Flexible Output: Customizable screenshot naming and organization

📚 Documentation Added

  • Advanced-CLI.md: Comprehensive CLI documentation and examples
  • Updated Command-Line-Interface-(CLI).md: Enhanced with new CLI mode information
  • Updated Usage.md: Three-interface usage patterns and workflows

[2.0.0] - "GUI Renaissance"

🎨 Major Visual Overhaul

  • 🖼️ Modern GUI Design: Complete redesign with unified control panel
  • 🎯 Visual Icons and Indicators: Enhanced user experience with clear visual feedback
  • 📱 Responsive Layout: Better window scaling and layout management
  • 🎨 Modern Windows Styling: Updated to use native Windows vista theme

✨ Enhanced Features

  • 🔄 Drag & Drop Support: Full drag and drop functionality for video files
  • 📁 Smart File Management: Enhanced file browser and selection system
  • ⚙️ Advanced Settings Dialog: Comprehensive settings with visual preview
  • 🎯 Visual Progress Indicators: Real-time progress tracking with modern progress bars

🚀 Performance Improvements

  • ⚡ Faster Video Processing: Optimized VapourSynth integration
  • 🧠 Better Memory Management: Reduced memory footprint for large videos
  • 🔧 Enhanced Error Handling: More informative error messages and recovery

🛠️ Technical Enhancements

  • 📦 Updated Build System: Enhanced PyInstaller configuration
  • 🔧 Better Dependencies: Streamlined requirements and optional dependencies
  • 🏗️ Code Restructuring: Improved code organization and maintainability

[1.5.0] - "Dynamic Fallback Edition"

🔧 Core Engine Rewrite

  • 🎯 Dynamic Library Detection: Automatic detection of available video processing libraries
  • 🔄 Fallback System: VapourSynth → OpenCV → PIL fallback hierarchy
  • ⚡ Multi-Backend Support: Support for multiple video processing engines
  • 🛡️ Error Recovery: Graceful handling of missing dependencies

✨ Major Features Added

  • 📹 OpenCV Integration: Full OpenCV support as VapourSynth alternative
  • 🖼️ PIL/Pillow Fallback: Basic image processing fallback for maximum compatibility
  • 🔍 Smart Library Detection: Automatic detection and optimal library selection
  • 📊 Processing Mode Indicators: Clear indication of which processing mode is active

🎨 Interface Improvements

  • 🖥️ Enhanced Console Interface: Improved interactive CLI with better prompts
  • 📋 Better Status Messages: Colored output with clear status indicators
  • 🔧 Advanced Configuration: More configuration options and customization
  • 📱 Improved User Experience: Streamlined workflows and better error messages

🚀 Technical Improvements

  • 🏗️ Modular Architecture: Separation of video processing backends
  • 📦 Dependency Management: Better handling of optional and required dependencies
  • 🔧 Enhanced Error Handling: More descriptive error messages and solutions
  • ⚡ Performance Optimizations: Faster processing and better resource utilization

📚 Documentation Updates

  • 📖 Installation Guide: Comprehensive installation instructions
  • 🎯 Usage Examples: Real-world usage examples and workflows
  • 🔧 Troubleshooting: Common issues and solutions
  • 🚀 Getting Started: Quick start guide for new users

[1.0.0] - "Foundation Release"

🚀 Initial Release

  • 🎬 Core Functionality: Basic video screenshot comparison using VapourSynth
  • 🌐 slow.pics Integration: Automatic upload to slow.pics with browser opening
  • 🖥️ GUI Application: Basic tkinter-based graphical user interface
  • 📋 Interactive Console: Command-line interface with guided prompts

✨ Core Features

  • 📹 Video Processing: VapourSynth-based video frame extraction
  • 🎨 Smart Cropping: Automatic black bar detection and removal
  • 📐 Intelligent Resizing: Aspect ratio-preserving resizing for standardized comparisons
  • 🌐 Upload Automation: Direct upload to slow.pics with automatic browser opening

🛠️ Basic Tools

  • 🖼️ Screenshot Generation: Automated screenshot generation from multiple videos
  • 📁 File Organization: Automatic organization of screenshots by source
  • ⚙️ Configuration: Basic configuration options for common workflows
  • 🔧 Build System: Basic PyInstaller build for Windows executables

📚 Initial Documentation

  • 📖 README: Basic project description and usage instructions
  • 🔧 Installation: Basic installation requirements and setup
  • 📋 Usage Guide: Simple usage instructions and examples

Version History Summary

Version Code Name Key Features
3.3.0 Cross-Platform Revolution Cross-platform support, Docker, Auto-setup
3.2.0 Professional CLI Revolution Advanced CLI, Automation, Configuration
2.0.0 GUI Renaissance Modern GUI, Drag & Drop, Visual overhaul
1.5.0 Dynamic Fallback Edition Multi-backend, Fallback system, OpenCV/PIL
1.0.0 Foundation Release Core functionality, VapourSynth, slow.pics

🏗️ Architecture Evolution

v1.0: Simple Foundation

  • Single VapourSynth backend
  • Basic GUI and console interfaces
  • Windows-only support

v1.5: Robust Flexibility

  • Multi-backend architecture (VapourSynth/OpenCV/PIL)
  • Dynamic fallback system
  • Enhanced error handling

v2.0: User Experience Focus

  • Modern GUI redesign
  • Drag & drop functionality
  • Visual improvements

v3.2: Professional Workflows

  • Advanced CLI for automation
  • Configuration file support
  • Multi-mode operations

v3.3: Universal Compatibility

  • True cross-platform support
  • Docker containerization
  • Intelligent auto-setup

🚀 Looking Forward

The Enhanced Screenshot Comparison Tool has evolved from a simple VapourSynth wrapper to a comprehensive, cross-platform video comparison suite. Each version has built upon the previous foundation while maintaining backward compatibility and expanding capabilities.

🎯 Key Achievements

  • ✅ Universal Platform Support: Works on any modern operating system
  • ✅ Multiple Interface Options: GUI, Interactive CLI, and Professional CLI
  • ✅ Robust Backend Support: VapourSynth, OpenCV, and PIL compatibility
  • ✅ Professional Automation: Complete CI/CD and batch processing support
  • ✅ Modern User Experience: Intuitive interfaces with advanced functionality
  • ✅ Container Ready: Full Docker support for portable deployments

The tool now serves users from complete beginners to professional video processing pipelines, making high-quality video comparison accessible to everyone while providing the power and flexibility needed for advanced workflows.