COMPARE_STRUCT

       Compare all matching tag names and return differences

       Compare all matching Tags names (except for "except_Tags")
       between two structure arrays (may have different struct.definitions),
       and return a structured List of fields found different.

       diff_List = compare_struct( struct_A, struct_B [ EXCEPT=, /BRIEF,
                                    /FULL, /NaN, /RECUR_A, /RECUR_B )

       struct_A, struct_B : the two structure arrays to compare.
       Struct_Name : for internal recursion use only.

               EXCEPT = string array of Tag names to ignore (NOT to compare).
               /BRIEF = number of differences found for each matching field
                                               of two structures is printed.
               /FULL = option to print even if zero differences found.
               /NaN = if set, then tag values are considered equal if they
                      are both set to NaN
               /RECUR_A = option to search for Tag names
                               in sub-structures of struct_A,
                               and then call compare_struct recursively
                               for those nested sub-structures.
               /RECUR_B = search for sub-structures of struct_B,
                               and then call compare_struct recursively
                               for those nested sub-structures.

               compare_struct is automatically called recursively
               for those nested sub-structures in both struct_A and struct_B
               (otherwise cannot take difference)

       Returns a structure array describing differences found,
       which can be examined using print,diff_List or help,/st,diff_List.

       Match Tag names and then use where function on tags.

       Find the tags in the !X system variable which are changed after a
       simple plot.
       IDL> x = !X              ;Save original values
       IDL> plot, indgen(25)    ;Make a simple plot
       IDL> help,/str,compare_struct(x,!X)    ;See how structure has changed
            and one will see that the tags  !X.crange and !X.S are changed
            by the plot.

       written 1990 Frank Varosi STX @ NASA/GSFC (using copy_struct)
       modif Aug.90 by F.V. to check and compare same # of elements only.
       Converted to IDL V5.0   W. Landsman   September 1997
       Added /NaN keyword W. Landsman  March 2004

[Home Page] [Software, Documentation] [IDL Documentation] [Quick Reference] [Feedback]