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1:mod:`filecmp` --- File and Directory Comparisons
2=================================================
3
4.. module:: filecmp
5   :synopsis: Compare files efficiently.
6
7.. sectionauthor:: Moshe Zadka <moshez@zadka.site.co.il>
8
9**Source code:** :source:`Lib/filecmp.py`
10
11--------------
12
13The :mod:`filecmp` module defines functions to compare files and directories,
14with various optional time/correctness trade-offs. For comparing files,
15see also the :mod:`difflib` module.
16
17The :mod:`filecmp` module defines the following functions:
18
19
20.. function:: cmp(f1, f2, shallow=True)
21
22   Compare the files named *f1* and *f2*, returning ``True`` if they seem equal,
23   ``False`` otherwise.
24
25   If *shallow* is true, files with identical :func:`os.stat` signatures are
26   taken to be equal.  Otherwise, the contents of the files are compared.
27
28   Note that no external programs are called from this function, giving it
29   portability and efficiency.
30
31   This function uses a cache for past comparisons and the results,
32   with cache entries invalidated if the :func:`os.stat` information for the
33   file changes.  The entire cache may be cleared using :func:`clear_cache`.
34
35
36.. function:: cmpfiles(dir1, dir2, common, shallow=True)
37
38   Compare the files in the two directories *dir1* and *dir2* whose names are
39   given by *common*.
40
41   Returns three lists of file names: *match*, *mismatch*,
42   *errors*.  *match* contains the list of files that match, *mismatch* contains
43   the names of those that don't, and *errors* lists the names of files which
44   could not be compared.  Files are listed in *errors* if they don't exist in
45   one of the directories, the user lacks permission to read them or if the
46   comparison could not be done for some other reason.
47
48   The *shallow* parameter has the same meaning and default value as for
49   :func:`filecmp.cmp`.
50
51   For example, ``cmpfiles('a', 'b', ['c', 'd/e'])`` will compare ``a/c`` with
52   ``b/c`` and ``a/d/e`` with ``b/d/e``.  ``'c'`` and ``'d/e'`` will each be in
53   one of the three returned lists.
54
55
56.. function:: clear_cache()
57
58   Clear the filecmp cache. This may be useful if a file is compared so quickly
59   after it is modified that it is within the mtime resolution of
60   the underlying filesystem.
61
62   .. versionadded:: 3.4
63
64
65.. _dircmp-objects:
66
67The :class:`dircmp` class
68-------------------------
69
70.. class:: dircmp(a, b, ignore=None, hide=None)
71
72   Construct a new directory comparison object, to compare the directories *a*
73   and *b*.  *ignore* is a list of names to ignore, and defaults to
74   :attr:`filecmp.DEFAULT_IGNORES`.  *hide* is a list of names to hide, and
75   defaults to ``[os.curdir, os.pardir]``.
76
77   The :class:`dircmp` class compares files by doing *shallow* comparisons
78   as described for :func:`filecmp.cmp`.
79
80   The :class:`dircmp` class provides the following methods:
81
82   .. method:: report()
83
84      Print (to :data:`sys.stdout`) a comparison between *a* and *b*.
85
86   .. method:: report_partial_closure()
87
88      Print a comparison between *a* and *b* and common immediate
89      subdirectories.
90
91   .. method:: report_full_closure()
92
93      Print a comparison between *a* and *b* and common subdirectories
94      (recursively).
95
96   The :class:`dircmp` class offers a number of interesting attributes that may be
97   used to get various bits of information about the directory trees being
98   compared.
99
100   Note that via :meth:`__getattr__` hooks, all attributes are computed lazily,
101   so there is no speed penalty if only those attributes which are lightweight
102   to compute are used.
103
104
105   .. attribute:: left
106
107      The directory *a*.
108
109
110   .. attribute:: right
111
112      The directory *b*.
113
114
115   .. attribute:: left_list
116
117      Files and subdirectories in *a*, filtered by *hide* and *ignore*.
118
119
120   .. attribute:: right_list
121
122      Files and subdirectories in *b*, filtered by *hide* and *ignore*.
123
124
125   .. attribute:: common
126
127      Files and subdirectories in both *a* and *b*.
128
129
130   .. attribute:: left_only
131
132      Files and subdirectories only in *a*.
133
134
135   .. attribute:: right_only
136
137      Files and subdirectories only in *b*.
138
139
140   .. attribute:: common_dirs
141
142      Subdirectories in both *a* and *b*.
143
144
145   .. attribute:: common_files
146
147      Files in both *a* and *b*.
148
149
150   .. attribute:: common_funny
151
152      Names in both *a* and *b*, such that the type differs between the
153      directories, or names for which :func:`os.stat` reports an error.
154
155
156   .. attribute:: same_files
157
158      Files which are identical in both *a* and *b*, using the class's
159      file comparison operator.
160
161
162   .. attribute:: diff_files
163
164      Files which are in both *a* and *b*, whose contents differ according
165      to the class's file comparison operator.
166
167
168   .. attribute:: funny_files
169
170      Files which are in both *a* and *b*, but could not be compared.
171
172
173   .. attribute:: subdirs
174
175      A dictionary mapping names in :attr:`common_dirs` to :class:`dircmp`
176      objects.
177
178.. attribute:: DEFAULT_IGNORES
179
180   .. versionadded:: 3.4
181
182   List of directories ignored by :class:`dircmp` by default.
183
184
185Here is a simplified example of using the ``subdirs`` attribute to search
186recursively through two directories to show common different files::
187
188    >>> from filecmp import dircmp
189    >>> def print_diff_files(dcmp):
190    ...     for name in dcmp.diff_files:
191    ...         print("diff_file %s found in %s and %s" % (name, dcmp.left,
192    ...               dcmp.right))
193    ...     for sub_dcmp in dcmp.subdirs.values():
194    ...         print_diff_files(sub_dcmp)
195    ...
196    >>> dcmp = dircmp('dir1', 'dir2') # doctest: +SKIP
197    >>> print_diff_files(dcmp) # doctest: +SKIP
198
199