binary file compare...

[Rhodri James]

On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:44:06 +0100, Adam Olsen <rhamph at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Apr 16, 3:16 am, Nigel Rantor <wig... at wiggly.org> wrote:
>> Okay, before I tell you about the empirical, real-world evidence I have
>> could you please accept that hashes collide and that no matter how many
>> samples you use the probability of finding two files that do collide is
>> small but not zero.
>
> I'm afraid you will need to back up your claims with real files.

So that would be a "no" then.  If the implementation of dicts in Python,
say, were to assert as you are that the hashes aren't going to collide,
then I'd have to walk away from it.  There's no point in using something
that guarantees a non-zero chance of corrupting your data.

Why are you advocating a solution to the OP's problem that is more
computationally expensive than a simple byte-by-byte comparison and
doesn't guarantee to give the correct answer?

-- 
Rhodri James *-* Wildebeeste Herder to the Masses