File::is - file is older? oldest? is newer? newest? similar? the same?

    use File::is;

    # return if F<file1> is newer than F<file2> or F<file3>.
    return
        if File::is->newer('file1', 'file2', 'file3');

    # do something if F<path1/file1> is older than F<file2> or F<path3/file3>.
    do_some_work()
        if File::is->older([ 'path1', 'file1'], 'file2', [ 'path3', 'file3' ]);

This module is a result of /me not wanting to write:

    if ($(stat('filename'))[9] < $(stat('tmp/other-filename'))[9]) { do_someting(); };

Instead I wrote a module with ~80 lines of code and ~90 lines of tests for it... So how is the module different from the above if? Should be reusable, has more functionality, should be clear from the code it self what the condition is doing and was fun to play with it. Another advantage is that the file names can be passed as array refs. In this case catfile in File::Spec is used to construct the filename. The resulting code is:

    if (File::is->older('filename', [ 'tmp', 'other-filename' ])) { do_something(); };

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename is newer (has modification time-stamp recent) then any of the rest passed as argument.

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename is newest (has the biggest modification time-stamp) compared to the rest of the passed filenames.

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename is older (has the later modification time-stamp) then any of the rest passed as argument.

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename is oldest (has the latest modification time-stamp) compared to the rest of the passed filenames.

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename has the same size and modification time-stamp than any of the rest of the passed filenames.

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename has the same inode and dev (is hard link) to any of the rest of the passed filenames.

NOTE: see http://perlmonks.org/?node_id=859612, File::Same

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename is bigger (has the bigger size) then any of the rest passed as argument.

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename is biggest (has the biggest size) compared to the rest of the passed filenames.

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename is smaller (has the smaller size) then any of the rest passed as argument.

Returns true/false if the $primary_filename is smallest (has the smallest size) compared to the rest of the passed filenames.

Call/use at your own risk ;-)

Accepts one or more arguments. It passes them to <File::Spec-catfile()>> dereferencing the array if one argument array ref is passed.

Example:

    _construct_filename('file')               => 'file'
    _construct_filename([ 'folder', 'file' ]) => File::Spec->catfile('folder', 'file');
    _construct_filename('folder', 'file')     => File::Spec->catfile('folder', 'file');

This function is called on every argument passed to cmp methods (newer, smaller, older, ...).

This function is called by all of the public newer(), smaller(), older(), ... methods do loop through files and do some cmp on them.

http://perldoc.perl.org/functions/stat.html

Jozef Kutej, <jkutej at cpan.org>

The following people have contributed to the File::is by committing their code, sending patches, reporting bugs, asking questions, suggesting useful advises, nitpicking, chatting on IRC or commenting on my blog (in no particular order):

    Ronald Fischer

Please report any bugs or feature requests to bug-file-is at rt.cpan.org, or through the web interface at http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=File-is. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.

You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.

    perldoc File::is

You can also look for information at:

* RT: CPAN's request tracker

http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/Bugs.html?Dist=File-is

* AnnoCPAN: Annotated CPAN documentation

http://annocpan.org/dist/File-is

* CPAN Ratings

http://cpanratings.perl.org/d/File-is

* Search CPAN

http://search.cpan.org/dist/File-is

Copyright 2010 jkutej@cpan.org

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either: the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; or the Artistic License.

See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/ for more information.