[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Dan Stromberg wrote: [...] >>I've been using the following compare function, which in short checks, in >>order: >> >>1) device number >>2) inode number >>3) file length >>4) the beginning of the file >>5) an md5 hash of the entire file >>6) the entire file [...] > Why would #5 not enough as an indicator that the files are indentical ? > Because it doesn't guarantee that the files are identical. It indicates, to a very high degree of probability (particularly when the file lengths are equal), that the two files are the same, but it doesn't guarantee it.
Technically there are in infinite number of inputs that can produce the same md5 hash. regards Steve -- Steve Holden +44 150 684 7255 +1 800 494 3119 Holden Web LLC www.holdenweb.com PyCon TX 2006 www.python.org/pycon/ -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list