Version number comparison in Python

Question

I want to write a cmp-like function which compares two version numbers and returns -1, 0, or 1 based on their compared va

Answer 1

In case you don't want to pull in an external dependency here is my attempt written for Python 3.x.

rc, rel (and possibly one could add c) are regarded as "release candidate" and divide the version number into two parts and if missing the value of the second part is high (999). Else letters produce a split and are dealt as sub-numbers via base-36 code.

import re
from itertools import chain
def compare_version(version1,version2):
    '''compares two version numbers
    >>> compare_version('1', '2') < 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('2', '1') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1', '1') == 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.0', '1') == 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1', '1.000') == 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('12.01', '12.1') == 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('13.0.1', '13.00.02') <0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.1.1', '1.1.1.1') == 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.1.2', '1.1.1.1') >0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.3', '1.1.3.000') == 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('3.1.1.0', '3.1.2.10') <0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1', '1.10') <0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.2','1.1.2') == 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.2','1.1.1') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.2','1.1.1') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.1-rc2','1.1.1-rc1') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.1a-rc2','1.1.1a-rc1') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.10-rc1','1.1.1a-rc2') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.1.1a-rc2','1.1.2-rc1') < 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.11','1.10.9') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.4','1.4-rc1') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('1.4c3','1.3') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('2.8.7rel.2','2.8.7rel.1') > 0
    True
    >>> compare_version('2.8.7.1rel.2','2.8.7rel.1') > 0
    True

    '''
    chn = lambda x:chain.from_iterable(x)
    def split_chrs(strings,chars):
        for ch in chars:
            strings = chn( [e.split(ch) for e in strings] )
        return strings
    split_digit_char=lambda x:[s for s in re.split(r'([a-zA-Z]+)',x) if len(s)>0]
    splt = lambda x:[split_digit_char(y) for y in split_chrs([x],'.-_')]
    def pad(c1,c2,f='0'):
        while len(c1) > len(c2): c2+=[f]
        while len(c2) > len(c1): c1+=[f]
    def base_code(ints,base):
        res=0
        for i in ints:
            res=base*res+i
        return res
    ABS = lambda lst: [abs(x) for x in lst]
    def cmp(v1,v2):
        c1 = splt(v1)
        c2 = splt(v2)
        pad(c1,c2,['0'])
        for i in range(len(c1)): pad(c1[i],c2[i])
        cc1 = [int(c,36) for c in chn(c1)]
        cc2 = [int(c,36) for c in chn(c2)]
        maxint = max(ABS(cc1+cc2))+1
        return base_code(cc1,maxint) - base_code(cc2,maxint)
    v_main_1, v_sub_1 = version1,'999'
    v_main_2, v_sub_2 = version2,'999'
    try:
        v_main_1, v_sub_1 = tuple(re.split('rel|rc',version1))
    except:
        pass
    try:
        v_main_2, v_sub_2 = tuple(re.split('rel|rc',version2))
    except:
        pass
    cmp_res=[cmp(v_main_1,v_main_2),cmp(v_sub_1,v_sub_2)]
    res = base_code(cmp_res,max(ABS(cmp_res))+1)
    return res


import random
from functools import cmp_to_key
random.shuffle(versions)
versions.sort(key=cmp_to_key(compare_version))