anyone got a good comparison program?

[lotsofplants]

So, I was curious. Anyone know of a program which can compare computer files to see if they are identical? I'm looking for ones that do the following comparisons:

-- will locate files with identical date/time/name but different locations
-- will find files which have identical date/time but different names
-- can compare two files to see if their contents are identical, even if the names or date/time are different.

I'm betting that the first is fairly easy, the last hardest. Suggestions, preferably for things which are cheap or free?

Comments

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

I think that several of your friends could write such a thing rather quickly, if worse comes to worse.

[boojum.livejournal.com]

If you have access to a Unix box, the last is dead easy (diff will work on both text and binary files, no problem). If you're on Windows, CygWin may give you that functionality.

diff --brief one_file the_other_file

will tell you if they're different without telling you all the details of how.

[craigp.livejournal.com]

the last is actually the easiest. you can use diff if you're on unix, or on windows, install mingw and msys (just google for them), and then you can use diff. if you're masochistic, use 'comp on windows.

another option on windows is winmerge; this lets you see the differences between files graphically, and merge them in various ways. i use it frequently for programming at home; 'beyond compare' is the best tool for this - i use it at work - but it's not free.

if no one else helps with the first two, let me know and i'll send you some scripts. you'll have to install mingw/msys if you're on windows; i despise dos.

[craigp.livejournal.com]

the comp command didn't work; it should be:

'comp [file1] [file2]'

HTH,
--craig

[zanfur.livejournal.com]

The diff (or windiff) program does the first and last in its sleep, the second is actually hardest. The windiff program is essentially a free, graphical version of the unix comandline tool, diff, and probably your best bet, unless you feel like perusing a commandline.