From: Rogan Dawes <lists@dawes.za.net>
Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:26:41 GMT
Subject: Re: [PATCH] Show binary file size change in diff --stat
Message-ID: <4613D1C1.6010002@dawes.za.net>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.63.0704041819340.4045@wbgn013.biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de>

Johannes Schindelin wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On Wed, 4 Apr 2007, Rogan Dawes wrote:
> 
>> Andy Parkins wrote:
>>
>>> As an example: compress a file, change a byte, compress it again, 
>>> perform a binary diff; what is that diff telling you about the change?  
>>> (My answer is: not much).
>> Well, at least as much as the resulting sizes tell you, if not more.
> 
> The subtle difference: your approach is _expensive_ in terms of CPU time, 
> while the byte change approach is _dirt cheap_.

I don't dispute that for a second.

> Since it seems that there are gazillions of examples where one or the 
> other (or both) do not make sense, I'd rather have the fast one.

Fair enough.

Rogan