How to compare two files and save difference in thrid file

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Views: 444 | Replies: 4

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Join Date: Apr 2008

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sreelatha

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How to compare two files and save difference in thrid file

May 19th, 2008

Hi,

I have a requirement that i have two files, one is input file and another is log file(both will contain the same data mostly). I need to compare these two files and if any difference found then those lines should be write to another file(3rd file).

I done googling, but I am able to find only two files comparison which returns true or false.

Has any one have idea? please help me.

thx & rgds,
sreelatha

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Join Date: Apr 2008

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Freaky_Chris Freaky_Chris is offline

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Re: How to compare two files and save difference in thrid file

May 19th, 2008

Simple read the use file.readlines() on both files to give you 2 arrays

so something like this

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 Python Syntax (Toggle Plain Text) 
f1 = open("file1.txt", "r")
f2 = open("file2.txt", "r")
 
fileOne = f1.readlines()
fileTwo = f2.readlines()
f1.close()
f2.close()
outFile = open("results.txt", "w")
x = 0
for i in fileOne:
   if i != fileTwo[x]:
      outFile.write(i+" <> "+fileTwo[x])
   x += 1
 
outFile.close()
f1 = open("file1.txt", "r")
f2 = open("file2.txt", "r")

fileOne = f1.readlines()
fileTwo = f2.readlines()
f1.close()
f2.close()
outFile = open("results.txt", "w")
x = 0
for i in fileOne:
   if i != fileTwo[x]:
      outFile.write(i+" <> "+fileTwo[x])
   x += 1

outFile.close()

something along those lines

Chris

Last edited by Freaky_Chris : May 19th, 2008 at 12:51 pm.

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Join Date: May 2008

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kdoiron

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Re: How to compare two files and save difference in thrid file

May 20th, 2008

Of course, you'll have to do it the other way too - to look through file2 to be sure everything there is also in file1.

But I don't like SPAM!

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woooee

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Re: How to compare two files and save difference in thrid file

May 20th, 2008

We had a topic like this a short while ago. The easiest/most efficient method is to use two sets and compare with set1.difference(set_2) and vice-versa. Also, python has difflib which may or may not be more than you want. http://docs.python.org/lib/differ-examples.html