= Python FileCmp =

'''`filecmp`''' is a module for comparing files. 

<<TableOfContents>>

----



== Usage ==



=== Clear_Cache ===

Clear the `filecmp.cmp` cache.

----



=== Cmp ===

Compare two files. By default a shallow comparison is used (checking type, size, and modification time). To use a deep comparison, try:

{{{
import filecmp

filecmp.cmp(fn1, fn2, shallow=False)
}}}

Results are cached. If the shallow comparison keys (see above) have not changed, the cached results are used.

The function takes file names, not file objects.

----



=== CmpFiles ===

Compare a list of files in two directories. Returns three lists:

 * filenames that matched between directories
 * filenames that did not match
 * filenames that raised an error while trying to compare

Note that a file not existing in one directory or the other counts as an error, not a mismatch.

For example:

{{{
import filecmp

filecmp.cmpfiles('/etc/skel', '/home/somebody', ['.profile', '.bashrc'])
}}}

There is a `shallow` named option with the same effect as in `filecmp.cmp`.

----


=== DirCmp ===

A class for comparing two directories. All comparisons are shallow.

{{{
import filecmp

filecmp.dircmp(d1, d2)
}}}

The returned object has a variety of properties that can be used for customized reporting.

||'''Property Name'''||'''Value'''                                                                                                            ||
||`left`             ||names in `d1`                                                                                                          ||
||`right`            ||names in `d2`                                                                                                          ||
||`left_list`        ||names in `d1` filtered by hide and ignore                                                                              ||
||`right_list`       ||names in `d2` filtered by hide and ignore                                                                              ||
||`common`           ||names in both `d1` and `d2`                                                                                            ||
||`left_only`        ||names in `d1` and not `d2`                                                                                             ||
||`right_only`       ||names in `d2` and not `d1`                                                                                             ||
||`common_dirs`      ||subdirectory names in both `d1` and `d2`                                                                               ||
||`common_files`     ||filenames in both `d1` and `d2`                                                                                        ||
||`common_funny`     ||filenames in both `d1` and `d2` but either have different file types or raised an error on examining for file type     ||
||`same_files`       ||filenames that match                                                                                                   ||
||`diff_files`       ||filenames that did not match                                                                                           ||
||`funny_files`      ||filenames in both `d1` and `d2` but could not be compared, usually for an error that isn't applicable to `common_funny`||
||`subdirs`          ||mapping of `common_dirs` names to `filecmp.dircmp` instances                                                           ||

The named options `ignore` and `hide` are used for filtering some of the above properties. They default to `filecmp.DEFAULT_IGNORES` and `['.', '..']` by default.

{{{
import filecmp

dcmp = filecmp.dircmp('/etc/skel', '/home/somebody') 

for name in dcmp.diff_files:
    print("diff_file %s found in %s and %s" % (name, dcmp.left, dcmp.right))

for sub_dcmp in dcmp.subdirs.values():
    print_diff_files(sub_dcmp)
}}}

----



== See also ==

[[https://docs.python.org/3/library/filecmp.html|Python filecmp module documentation]]

[[https://pymotw.com/3/filecmp/|Python Module of the Day article for filecmp]]



----
CategoryRicottone