Re: Program to compare two directory trees

From: Larry I Smith (larryXiXsmith_at_verizon.net)
Date: 09/25/04 

Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 01:24:41 GMT

Peter Ammon wrote:
> Norm Dresner wrote:
>
>> "James Antill" <james-netnews@and.org> wrote in message
>> news:pan.2004.09.24.17.57.29.757033@and.org...
>>
>>> On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 19:21:41 +0000, Norm Dresner wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> In the distant past I wrote my own program to recursively traverse two
>>>> parallel directory trees (each at arbitrary depth from the root) and
>>
>>
>> list
>>
>>>> the differences between them. The program used (IIRC) stat() to get
>>
>>
>> file
>>
>>>> sizes and dates and printed a line on the output for each mismatch.
>>>>
>>>> I find myself needing something like this again, but this time I don't
>>
>>
>> care
>>
>>>> about the sizes or dates, just the (non-)existence of the files.
>>>> Before
>>
>>
>> I
>>
>>>> reinvent the wheel, is there a (pseudo) standard utility available that
>>
>>
>> will
>>
>>>> do this. I'm less likely to make stupid errors that would
>>>> invalidate my
>>>> explorations if I can use a pre-tested program than if I have to study
>>
>>
>> and
>>
>>>> try to understand code I wrote over a decade ago.
>>>
>>>
>>> diff -qru <dir> <dir>
>>
>>
>>
>> Yeah, several people have pointed out that modern versions of diff
>> will do
>> that. The original program was written back in the '80s for a VAX
>> running a
>> UNIX-like OS. Ah, progress ...
>>
>> Thanks to all who answered.
>>
>> Norm
>
>
> Sorry, I don't see the original response, which is why I'm replying
> here. My second reaction to this was diff as well, but won't diff
> report differences in the files' contents, not merely the existence of
> the files? The OP appears to want different files with the same name to
> be considered the same, and AFAIK diff cannot do that.
>
> My first reaction was to use find to enumerate the directory contents in
> each directory, and then diff to compare them.
>
> -Peter

Diff has many options. Several cause it to merely say that
a file differs in the two dirs, or that a file is only in one
of the dirs. Given none of these options, it will display
the diffs of the file contents. Here's one possible example:

   diff --brief --recursive dir1 dir2

See 'info diff' for additional options (there are about 50
options available).

Regards,
Larry 

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