Python, compute list difference

Question

In Python, what is the best way to compute the difference between two lists?

example

A = [1,2,3,4]
B = [2,5]

A - B = [1,3,4]
B - A = [5]

Answer 1

You would want to use a set instead of a list.

Answer 2

Use set if you don't care about items order or repetition. Use list comprehensions if you do:

>>> def diff(first, second):
        second = set(second)
        return [item for item in first if item not in second]

>>> diff(A, B)
[1, 3, 4]
>>> diff(B, A)
[5]
>>> 

Answer 3

The above examples trivialized the problem of calculating differences. Assuming sorting or de-duplication definitely make it easier to compute the difference, but if your comparison cannot afford those assumptions then you'll need a non-trivial implementation of a diff algorithm. See difflib in the python standard library.

from difflib import SequenceMatcher 

squeeze=SequenceMatcher( None, A, B )

print "A - B = [%s]"%( reduce( lambda p,q: p+q, 
                               map( lambda t: squeeze.a[t[1]:t[2]], 
                                    filter(lambda x:x[0]!='equal', 
                                           squeeze.get_opcodes() ) ) ) )

A - B = [[1, 3, 4]]

Answer 4

If the order does not matter, you can simply calculate the set difference:

>>> set([1,2,3,4]) - set([2,5])
set([1, 4, 3])
>>> set([2,5]) - set([1,2,3,4])
set([5])

Answer 5

When having a look at TimeComplexity of In-operator, in worst case it works with O(n). Even for Sets.

So when comparing two arrays we'll have a TimeComplexity of O(n) in best case and O(n^2) in worst case.

An alternative (but unfortunately more complex) solution, which works with O(n) in best and worst case is this one:

# Compares the difference of list a and b
# uses a callback function to compare items
def diff(a, b, callback):
  a_missing_in_b = []
  ai = 0
  bi = 0

  a = sorted(a, callback)
  b = sorted(b, callback)

  while (ai < len(a)) and (bi < len(b)):

    cmp = callback(a[ai], b[bi])
    if cmp < 0:
      a_missing_in_b.append(a[ai])
      ai += 1
    elif cmp > 0:
      # Item b is missing in a
      bi += 1
    else:
      # a and b intersecting on this item
      ai += 1
      bi += 1

  # if a and b are not of same length, we need to add the remaining items
  for ai in xrange(ai, len(a)):
    a_missing_in_b.append(a[ai])


  return a_missing_in_b

e.g.

>>> a=[1,2,3]
>>> b=[2,4,6]
>>> diff(a, b, cmp)
[1, 3]

Answer 6

In case you want the difference recursively going deep into items of your list, I have written a package for python: https://github.com/erasmose/deepdiff

Installation

Install from PyPi:

pip install deepdiff

If you are Python3 you need to also install:

pip install future six

Example usage

>>> from deepdiff import DeepDiff
>>> from pprint import pprint
>>> from __future__ import print_function

Same object returns empty

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3}
>>> t2 = t1
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> print (ddiff.changes)
    {}

Type of an item has changed

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:"2", 3:3}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> print (ddiff.changes)
    {'type_changes': ["root[2]: 2=<type 'int'> vs. 2=<type 'str'>"]}

Value of an item has changed

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:4, 3:3}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> print (ddiff.changes)
    {'values_changed': ['root[2]: 2 ====>> 4']}

Item added and/or removed

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:4}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:4, 3:3, 5:5, 6:6}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> pprint (ddiff.changes)
    {'dic_item_added': ['root[5, 6]'],
     'dic_item_removed': ['root[4]'],
     'values_changed': ['root[2]: 2 ====>> 4']}

String difference

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":"world"}}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:4, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":"world!"}}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> pprint (ddiff.changes, indent = 2)
    { 'values_changed': [ 'root[2]: 2 ====>> 4',
                          "root[4]['b']:\n--- \n+++ \n@@ -1 +1 @@\n-world\n+world!"]}
>>>
>>> print (ddiff.changes['values_changed'][1])
    root[4]['b']:
    --- 
    +++ 
    @@ -1 +1 @@
    -world
    +world!

String difference 2

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":"world!\nGoodbye!\n1\n2\nEnd"}}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":"world\n1\n2\nEnd"}}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> pprint (ddiff.changes, indent = 2)
    { 'values_changed': [ "root[4]['b']:\n--- \n+++ \n@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@\n-world!\n-Goodbye!\n+world\n 1\n 2\n End"]}
>>>
>>> print (ddiff.changes['values_changed'][0])
    root[4]['b']:
    --- 
    +++ 
    @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
    -world!
    -Goodbye!
    +world
     1
     2
     End

Type change

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":[1, 2, 3]}}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":"world\n\n\nEnd"}}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> pprint (ddiff.changes, indent = 2)
    { 'type_changes': [ "root[4]['b']: [1, 2, 3]=<type 'list'> vs. world\n\n\nEnd=<type 'str'>"]}

List difference

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":[1, 2, 3]}}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":[1, 2]}}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> pprint (ddiff.changes, indent = 2)
    { 'list_removed': ["root[4]['b']: [3]"]}

List difference 2: Note that it DOES NOT take order into account

>>> # Note that it DOES NOT take order into account
... t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":[1, 2, 3]}}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":[1, 3, 2]}}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> pprint (ddiff.changes, indent = 2)
    { }

List that contains dictionary:

>>> t1 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":[1, 2, {1:1, 2:2}]}}
>>> t2 = {1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:{"a":"hello", "b":[1, 2, {1:3}]}}
>>> ddiff = DeepDiff(t1, t2)
>>> pprint (ddiff.changes, indent = 2)
    { 'dic_item_removed': ["root[4]['b'][2][2]"],
      'values_changed': ["root[4]['b'][2][1]: 1 ====>> 3"]}