# String comparisions

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-comparisions/160159>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [February 12, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-comparisions/160159 "2009-02-12T12:22:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/talib)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-comparisions/160159/1 "2009-02-12T12:22:07Z")

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Experts,

I have a requirement of comparing string and getting the difference out

For Example :

strOne = “Hello, this is a test”  
strTwo = “Hello, this is a test forum”

This should result that word “forum” is extra.

Any thoughts?

Regards,  
Talib H.

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**Author:** ![talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/talib)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-comparisions/160159/2 "2009-02-12T12:41:55Z")

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strTwo.split(strOne)[1].lstrip

But that’s very specific.

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**Author:** ![talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/talib)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-comparisions/160159/3 "2009-02-12T12:44:18Z")

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just for that instance:  
p (strTwo.split - strOne.split).join

Giampiero

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**Author:** ![talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/talib)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-comparisions/160159/4 "2009-02-12T13:24:19Z")

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Look into the ruby full-text search.

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**Author:** ![talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@talib](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/talib)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/string-comparisions/160159/5 "2009-02-12T14:16:15Z")

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2009/2/12 Talib H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid):

> I have a requirement of comparing string and getting the difference out
> 
> For Example :
> 
> strOne = “Hello, this is a test”  
> strTwo = “Hello, this is a test forum”
> 
> This should result that word “forum” is extra.
> 
> Any thoughts?

IMHO your question is by far not specific enough. What kind of output  
do you expect exactly? Do you want all _words_ reported that are  
missing or extra? Do you have to have _substrings_ reported which are  
missing or extra? Do you need _positional information_ with that? If  
so, which (word position, character position)? Do you need human  
readable output or do you want to automatically process it? etc.

Cheers

robert