Objective
Develop a Python program to compare two files (of any type) and determine if they are identical (i.e., have the same content).
Example Python Exercise
Show Python Code
# Python program to compare two files and check if they are identical
def compare_files(file1, file2):
try:
# Open both files in binary mode for comparison
with open(file1, 'rb') as f1, open(file2, 'rb') as f2:
# Read the contents of the files
file1_data = f1.read()
file2_data = f2.read()
# Compare the contents of both files
if file1_data == file2_data:
print(f"The files '{file1}' and '{file2}' are identical.")
else:
print(f"The files '{file1}' and '{file2}' are not identical.")
except FileNotFoundError:
print(f"Error: One or both of the files '{file1}' or '{file2}' do not exist.")
except Exception as e:
print(f"Error: {str(e)}")
# Example usage
compare_files('file1.txt', 'file2.txt')
Output
When running the program with two identical files:
The files 'file1.txt' and 'file2.txt' are identical.
When running the program with two different files:
The files 'file1.txt' and 'file2.txt' are not identical.
Error Scenarios:
File Not Found:
Error: One or both of the files 'file1.txt' or 'file2.txt' do not exist.
General Errors:
Error: [Error message]
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