As a developer. I have found that if I can not find an old file with what I remember doing. It is often just quicker to redo what I need. This is where a desktop google with some sort of meta data tagging would come in handy. google local: find me "A dotted army soldier" did you mean Makefile foo.makefile :) kitepilot@kitepilot.com wrote: >>> Well it sounds like from your first post this was a one time deal. > Right now it is, but I could probably find a use for it in the future... > >>> "most closely" implies, I don't know what it looks like. > Which is correct. > I know what I want. > I don't know what it looks like. > I know something that looks pretty similar though. > A dotted army soldier? :) > > > For a example, say that you have a bunch of make files. > Somedy added one include path to one of then. > I have 2 directory trees, names are meaningless (for the most part), and > dates are all the same because someone ran 'touch *' > > I know that many files had many changes, but the two I'm looking for, had > minor changes between them. > > The question is, which files most closely resemble each other? > It's a very fuzzy question, but valid, and to put into your context, it > would be along the lines of: > In this box of soldiers that the dog chew away, which 2 of them are missing > half an arm in opposite sides. > Clear as mud? > Didn't expect any better... ;-) > Thanks! > Enrique > > > Bob Elzer writes: > >> Well it sounds like from your first post this was a one time deal. >> >>>> I want to find the file that resembles most closely the one I have at >> hand. >> >> "most closely" implies, I don't know what it looks like. >> >> One Liner means just that. >> >> Is this an on going process, do you have a starting file to work with ? Your >> first message said you needed to find two near similar files somewhere in a >> directory tree. >> >> I'm not picking on you, but I used to tell my users, If you ask Santa for a >> toy soldier and you get a green plastic army man, don't be upset because you >> really wanted a G.I. Joe doll. >> >> Is what changes in the file the same line each time ? >> >> Can you give us a real example of one of these ? >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >> [mailto:plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On Behalf Of >> kitepilot@kitepilot.com >> Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 7:22 AM >> To: Main PLUG discussion list >> Subject: Re: OK, a REAL Linux question... ; -) Ineeda"one-liner" (because I >> am lazy) >> >> Thanks. >> Time won't work. >> These files are coming from a repository and they all have the same >> date/time. >> >>>> There is no command to find something, if you don't know what you >>>> want to find. >> I know what I want to find. >> I want to find the file that resembles most closely the one I have at hand. >> It's called a "Fuzzy" search. >> >> One approach would be to fire up a loop to compare every file to another one >> ignoring white-spaces, log the resulted diff files, choose the smallest >> results at the end of the run (after you define "smallest") and then use >> some sort of "Fuzzy algorithm" to pick the finalists. >> The final decision is hand picked. >> Far from a "one-liner"... :) >> Thanks! :) >> ET >> >> >> >> >> Bob Elzer writes: >> >>> ls -aCltR >>> >>> will list all the files in the current directory and below. >>> >>> each directory will be listed sorted by the date files were modified, >>> most recent first. >>> >>> There are flags for the time format, but the most recent changes will >>> be at the top of each directory. >>> >>> You will have to some work yourself, but this should narrow it down. >>> >>> There is no command to find something, if you don't know what you want >>> to find. >>> >>> Although, the find command, can find files modified at certain times, >>> if you know about when the file changed. >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >>> [mailto:plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On Behalf Of >>> kitepilot@kitepilot.com >>> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 4:58 PM >>> To: Main PLUG discussion list >>> Subject: Re: OK, a REAL Linux question... ; -) I needa"one-liner" >>> (because I am lazy) >>> >>>>> *diff | wc -l* for each combination of file? >>>>> have you tried ls -t, to see when the files were modified ? >>> There are several hundreds of files in a 10-15 depth tree. >>> That means that "ls -t" won't work, and firing a loop to diff each >>> one, to every other, will yield so many false positives that the >>> result (if found) will be lost in the noise. >>> >>> It has to be some sort of "fuzzy" diff. >>> I used to use a program called Uniquefiler that did that for pictures. >>> Sometimes it would come up with some very creative matching, but in >>> general it was an excellent program. >>> I don't it need now, but I'd certainly like to know if someone knows >>> of a Linux variant. >>> Thanks! :) >>> ET >>> >>> >>> Eric Cope writes: >>> >>>> *diff | wc -l* for each combination of file? >>>> >>>> On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 3:12 PM, Bob Elzer wrote: >>>> >>>>> No you don't qualify, this is the Phoenix List. Just kidding. >>>>> >>>>> have you tried ls -t, to see when the files were modified ? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>> From: plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >>>>> [mailto:plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On Behalf Of >>>>> kitepilot@kitepilot.com >>>>> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 2:25 PM >>>>> To: Main PLUG discussion list >>>>> Subject: OK, a REAL Linux question... ;-) I need a"one-liner" >>>>> (because I am >>>>> lazy) >>>>> >>>>> I have a bunch of text files. >>>>> Makefile(s), that is. >>>>> >>>>> I know that one of them (THERE ARE TONS!) was slightly modified. >>>>> Names are meaningless, so it won't work. >>>>> There are more changes that mere whitespaces, so diff -w ... won't >>>>> work either. >>>>> >>>>> Question is: >>>>> How do I find 2 files that are "almost" the same file? >>>>> >>>>> I have thought of different approaches, but none of then are one-liners. >>>>> Is there a one-liner for this? >>>>> Thanks! >>>>> Enrique >>>>> >>>>> PS: I live in North West GA, play the worker in South Florida, drive >>>>> like a mailman and consider "the neighborhood" anything within 200 >> miles. >>>>> Do I qualify as member of this list? ;-) >>>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>>>> >>>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>>>> >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> --------------------------------------------------- >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> >> --------------------------------------------------- >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > -- Stephen P Rufle stephen.p.rufle@cox.net H1:480-626-8022 H2:480-802-7173 Yahoo IM: stephen_rufle AOL IM: stephen1rufle --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss