DifferentSelector (Apache Ant API)
Date: 2015-07-03

org.apache.tools.ant.types.selectors

## Class DifferentSelector

- java.lang.Object
- - org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectComponent
  - - org.apache.tools.ant.types.DataType
    - - org.apache.tools.ant.types.selectors.BaseSelector
      - - org.apache.tools.ant.types.selectors.MappingSelector
        - - org.apache.tools.ant.types.selectors.DifferentSelector

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    java.lang.Cloneable, FileSelector

      public class DifferentSelector
      extends MappingSelector

  This selector selects files against a mapped set of target files, selecting all those files which are different. Files with different lengths are deemed different automatically Files with identical timestamps are viewed as matching by default, unless you specify otherwise. Contents are compared if the lengths are the same and the timestamps are ignored or the same, except if you decide to ignore contents to gain speed.

  This is a useful selector to work with programs and tasks that don't handle dependency checking properly; Even if a predecessor task always creates its output files, followup tasks can be driven off copies made with a different selector, so their dependencies are driven on the absolute state of the files, not a timestamp.

  Clearly, however, bulk file comparisons is inefficient; anything that can use timestamps is to be preferred. If this selector must be used, use it over as few files as possible, perhaps following it with an <uptodate;> to keep the descendant routines conditional.

- - ### Field Summary

    - ### Fields inherited from class org.apache.tools.ant.types.selectors.MappingSelector

      `granularity, map, mapperElement, targetdir`

    - ### Fields inherited from class org.apache.tools.ant.types.DataType

      `checked, ref`

    - ### Fields inherited from class org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectComponent

      `description, location, project`

  - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `DifferentSelector()`

  - ### Method Summary

    Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `protected boolean` | `selectionTest(java.io.File srcfile, java.io.File destfile)` this test is our selection test that compared the file with the destfile
    `void` | `setIgnoreContents(boolean ignoreContents)` This flag tells the selector to ignore contents
    `void` | `setIgnoreFileTimes(boolean ignoreFileTimes)` This flag tells the selector to ignore file times in the comparison

    - ### Methods inherited from class org.apache.tools.ant.types.selectors.MappingSelector

      `addConfigured, createMapper, isSelected, setGranularity, setTargetdir, verifySettings`

    - ### Methods inherited from class org.apache.tools.ant.types.selectors.BaseSelector

      `getError, setError, validate`

    - ### Methods inherited from class org.apache.tools.ant.types.DataType

      `checkAttributesAllowed, checkChildrenAllowed, circularReference, clone, dieOnCircularReference, dieOnCircularReference, dieOnCircularReference, getCheckedRef, getCheckedRef, getCheckedRef, getCheckedRef, getDataTypeName, getRefid, invokeCircularReferenceCheck, isChecked, isReference, noChildrenAllowed, pushAndInvokeCircularReferenceCheck, setChecked, setRefid, tooManyAttributes, toString`

    - ### Methods inherited from class org.apache.tools.ant.ProjectComponent

      `getDescription, getLocation, getProject, log, log, setDescription, setLocation, setProject`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### DifferentSelector

          public DifferentSelector()

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### setIgnoreFileTimes

          public void setIgnoreFileTimes(boolean ignoreFileTimes)

      This flag tells the selector to ignore file times in the comparison
      Parameters:
        `ignoreFileTimes` - if true ignore file times

    - #### setIgnoreContents

          public void setIgnoreContents(boolean ignoreContents)

      This flag tells the selector to ignore contents
      Parameters:
        `ignoreContents` - if true ignore contents
      Since:
        ant 1.6.3

    - #### selectionTest

          protected boolean selectionTest(java.io.File srcfile,
                              java.io.File destfile)

      this test is our selection test that compared the file with the destfile
      Specified by:
        `selectionTest` in class `MappingSelector`
      Parameters:
        `srcfile` - the source file
        `destfile` - the destination file
      Returns:
        true if the files are different