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

I did this in order to be able to parse and compare the Debian package version string. Please notice that it is not strict with the character validation.

This might be helpful as well:

#!/usr/bin/env python

# Read  for further informations.

class CommonVersion(object):
    def __init__(self, version_string):
        self.version_string = version_string
        self.tags = []
        self.parse()

    def parse(self):
        parts = self.version_string.split('~')
        self.version_string = parts[0]
        if len(parts) > 1:
            self.tags = parts[1:]


    def __lt__(self, other):
        if self.version_string < other.version_string:
            return True
        for index, tag in enumerate(self.tags):
            if index not in other.tags:
                return True
            if self.tags[index] < other.tags[index]:
                return True

    @staticmethod
    def create(version_string):
        return UpstreamVersion(version_string)

class UpstreamVersion(CommonVersion):
    pass

class DebianMaintainerVersion(CommonVersion):
    pass

class CompoundDebianVersion(object):
    def __init__(self, epoch, upstream_version, debian_version):
        self.epoch = epoch
        self.upstream_version = UpstreamVersion.create(upstream_version)
        self.debian_version = DebianMaintainerVersion.create(debian_version)

    @staticmethod
    def create(version_string):
        version_string = version_string.strip()
        epoch = 0
        upstream_version = None
        debian_version = '0'

        epoch_check = version_string.split(':')
        if epoch_check[0].isdigit():
            epoch = int(epoch_check[0])
            version_string = ':'.join(epoch_check[1:])
        debian_version_check = version_string.split('-')
        if len(debian_version_check) > 1:
            debian_version = debian_version_check[-1]
            version_string = '-'.join(debian_version_check[0:-1])

        upstream_version = version_string

        return CompoundDebianVersion(epoch, upstream_version, debian_version)

    def __repr__(self):
        return '{} {}'.format(self.__class__.__name__, vars(self))

    def __lt__(self, other):
        if self.epoch < other.epoch:
            return True
        if self.upstream_version < other.upstream_version:
            return True
        if self.debian_version < other.debian_version:
            return True
        return False


if __name__ == '__main__':
    def lt(a, b):
        assert(CompoundDebianVersion.create(a) < CompoundDebianVersion.create(b))

    # test epoch
    lt('1:44.5.6', '2:44.5.6')
    lt('1:44.5.6', '1:44.5.7')
    lt('1:44.5.6', '1:44.5.7')
    lt('1:44.5.6', '2:44.5.6')
    lt('  44.5.6', '1:44.5.6')

    # test upstream version (plus tags)
    lt('1.2.3~rc7',          '1.2.3')
    lt('1.2.3~rc1',          '1.2.3~rc2')
    lt('1.2.3~rc1~nightly1', '1.2.3~rc1')
    lt('1.2.3~rc1~nightly2', '1.2.3~rc1')
    lt('1.2.3~rc1~nightly1', '1.2.3~rc1~nightly2')
    lt('1.2.3~rc1~nightly1', '1.2.3~rc2~nightly1')

    # test debian maintainer version
    lt('44.5.6-lts1', '44.5.6-lts12')
    lt('44.5.6-lts1', '44.5.7-lts1')
    lt('44.5.6-lts1', '44.5.7-lts2')
    lt('44.5.6-lts1', '44.5.6-lts2')
    lt('44.5.6-lts1', '44.5.6-lts2')
    lt('44.5.6',      '44.5.6-lts1')