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(python2.1-lib.info)filecmp

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File and Directory Comparisons
==============================

This manual section was written by Moshe Zadka
<moshez@zadka.site.co.il>.
Compare files efficiently.

The `filecmp' module defines functions to compare files and directories,
with various optional time/correctness trade-offs.

The `filecmp' module defines the following function:

`cmp(f1, f2[, shallow[, use_statcache]])'
     Compare the files named F1 and F2, returning `1' if they seem
     equal, `0' otherwise.

     Unless SHALLOW is given and is false, files with identical
     `os.stat()' signatures are taken to be equal.  If USE_STATCACHE is
     given and is true, `statcache.stat()' will be called rather then
     `os.stat()'; the default is to use `os.stat()'.

     Files that were compared using this function will not be compared
     again unless their `os.stat()' signature changes. Note that using
     USE_STATCACHE true will cause the cache invalidation mechanism to
     fail -- the stale stat value will be used from `statcache''s cache.

     Note that no external programs are called from this function,
     giving it portability and efficiency.

`cmpfiles(dir1, dir2, common[, shallow[, use_statcache]])'
     Returns three lists of file names: MATCH, MISMATCH, ERRORS.  MATCH
     contains the list of files match in both directories, MISMATCH
     includes the names of those that don't, and ERRROS lists the names
     of files which could not be compared.  Files may be listed in
     ERRORS because the user may lack permission to read them or many
     other reasons, but always that the comparison could not be done
     for some reason.

     The SHALLOW and USE_STATCACHE parameters have the same meanings
     and default values as for `filecmp.cmp()'.

Example:

     >>> import filecmp
     >>> filecmp.cmp('libundoc.tex', 'libundoc.tex')
     1
     >>> filecmp.cmp('libundoc.tex', 'lib.tex')
     0

dircmp class