Compare two files line by line and get not matching lines into two new files

johnegeorge · Oct 14, 2013#12013-10-14T21:53+00:00

I have 2 ASCII files I wish to compare with UltraCompare. Each contains N lines of 6 characters each. I want to find lines in file A not in file B and lines in file B not in file A. This is all or nothing. I don't want the "First Different, Second Different" report.

I have tried changing the session properties with no success.

Advice appreciated.

Thanks,

~john

Mofi · Oct 15, 2013#22013-10-15T07:29+00:00

Such tasks are better done with an UltraEdit script or macro. There are several scripts/macros available for very similar tasks.

I wrote nevertheless very quickly a new script exactly for this task. It does not contain any error handling like one file is empty. But I think, you don't need them.

Open in UltraEdit the two files. Create a new ASCII file with DOS line terminators and copy & paste the following script code into this new file. Save the new file with a name like GetUniqueLinesFromTwoFiles.js. Run the script via Scripting - Run Active Script.

Code: Select all

if (UltraEdit.document.length > 1)  // Are at least 2 files opened?
{
   // Define environment for the script.
   UltraEdit.insertMode();
   if (typeof(UltraEdit.columnModeOff) == "function") UltraEdit.columnModeOff();
   else if (typeof(UltraEdit.activeDocument.columnModeOff) == "function") UltraEdit.activeDocument.columnModeOff();

   // Get all lines from first (most left) file.
   UltraEdit.document[0].selectAll();
   var asLinesFileA = UltraEdit.document[0].selection.split("\r\n");
   // Remove last element from the array if it is an empty string
   // because the file ended with a DOS line termination.
   if (asLinesFileA[asLinesFileA.length-1] == "") asLinesFileA.pop();

   // Get all lines from second file.
   UltraEdit.document[1].selectAll();
   var asLinesFileB = UltraEdit.document[1].selection.split("\r\n");
   if (asLinesFileB[asLinesFileB.length-1] == "") asLinesFileB.pop();

   // Remove the lines existing in both files.
   for (var nLineA = 0; nLineA < asLinesFileA.length; nLineA++)
   {
      var sLineA = asLinesFileA[nLineA];
      for (var nLineB = 0; nLineB < asLinesFileB.length; nLineB++)
      {
         if (asLinesFileB[nLineB] == sLineA)
         {
            asLinesFileB.splice(nLineB,1);
            asLinesFileA.splice(nLineA,1);
            nLineA--;
            break;
         }
      }
   }
   UltraEdit.selectClipboard(9);
   // Are unique lines from file A remaining, write them to a new file.
   if (asLinesFileA.length > 0)
   {
      UltraEdit.newFile();
      UltraEdit.activeDocument.write("Unique in file "+UltraEdit.document[0].path+":\r\n\r\n\r\n");
      UltraEdit.activeDocument.key("UP ARROW");
      UltraEdit.clipboardContent = asLinesFileA.join("\r\n");
      UltraEdit.activeDocument.paste();
      UltraEdit.activeDocument.top();
   }
   // Are unique lines from file B remaining, write them to a new file.
   if (asLinesFileB.length > 0)
   {
      UltraEdit.newFile();
      UltraEdit.activeDocument.write("Unique in file "+UltraEdit.document[1].path+":\r\n\r\n\r\n");
      UltraEdit.activeDocument.key("UP ARROW");
      UltraEdit.clipboardContent = asLinesFileB.join("\r\n");
      UltraEdit.activeDocument.paste();
      UltraEdit.activeDocument.top();
   }
   UltraEdit.clearClipboard();
   UltraEdit.selectClipboard(0);
}

johnegeorge · Oct 15, 2013#32013-10-15T17:23+00:00

Mofi,

Thanks. That was kind of you. I ran the script and the results are as you say.

I will learn about scripting.

Regards,

~john

userjohn7 · Nov 03, 2013#42013-11-03T00:34+00:00

I'd like to ask your help on the following requirements.
There are search strings in file A to search for in file B.
If the search string is not found in file B, we need to list the search string in a mismatch report.
A search string is followed by two ampersands in file A. A search string is to be found as a full word, not partial word in file B.
Thank you in advance.
Example below.

File A

Code: Select all

&&apple
         &&orange
   &&desk
            &&fruit
  &&test
      
&&spring

File B

Code: Select all

     test
  orangejuice
         desk

Mismatch report

Code: Select all

apple
orange
fruit
spring

Mofi · Nov 03, 2013#52013-11-03T16:09+00:00

Here is the script searching in file B for strings defined in file A and reporting all strings from file A not found in file B.

Code: Select all

if (UltraEdit.document.length > 1)  // Are at least 2 files opened?
{
   // Define environment for the script.
   UltraEdit.insertMode();
   if (typeof(UltraEdit.columnModeOff) == "function") UltraEdit.columnModeOff();
   else if (typeof(UltraEdit.activeDocument.columnModeOff) == "function") UltraEdit.activeDocument.columnModeOff();

   // Get all strings starting with 2 ampersands.
   UltraEdit.document[0].selectAll();
   var asSearchStrings = UltraEdit.document[0].selection.match(/&&\S+/g);
   UltraEdit.document[0].top();  // Cancel the selection.

   if (asSearchStrings != null)  // Was any string found?
   {
      // Get content of second file into a large string.
      UltraEdit.document[1].selectAll();
      var asContentFileB = UltraEdit.document[1].selection;
      UltraEdit.document[1].top();

      // Remove the 2 ampersands from each found string and
      // search for each string in entire content of file B.
      var nIndex = asSearchStrings.length;
      do
      {
         var sToFind = asSearchStrings[--nIndex].substr(2);
         var rSearch = new RegExp("\\b"+sToFind+"\\b","");
         // Can this string as a word found in file B?
         if (asContentFileB.search(rSearch) < 0)
         {  // No, keep this string for final report.
            asSearchStrings[nIndex] = sToFind;
         }
         else
         {  // Yes, remove this string from the array of search strings.
            asSearchStrings.splice(nIndex,1);
         }
      }
      while (nIndex > 0);

      // Are search strings from file A remaining, write them to a new file.
      if (asSearchStrings.length > 0)
      {
         asSearchStrings.push("");  // To terminate last line, too.
         UltraEdit.selectClipboard(9);
         UltraEdit.newFile();
         UltraEdit.activeDocument.unixMacToDos();
         UltraEdit.clipboardContent = asSearchStrings.join("\r\n");
         UltraEdit.activeDocument.paste();
         UltraEdit.activeDocument.top();
         UltraEdit.clearClipboard();
         UltraEdit.selectClipboard(0);
      }
      else UltraEdit.messageBox("All strings from file A found in file B.");
   }
}

userjohn7 · Nov 03, 2013#62013-11-03T20:31+00:00

Thank you much Mofi, it works great.
Bless you.

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