secdev/scapy

[enhancement] Provide a diff feature that refine packet comparison

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#4,739 opened on May 9, 2025

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 (4 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Python (9,312 stars) (1,949 forks)batch import
enhancementhelp wanted

Description

Not just a comparison of serialized buffers, but a fine report on data that diverges between two packets.

This feature may support approximate comparisons for certain fields (like timestamps for example).

Contributor guide

Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Python programmingScapy API familiarity
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
75
Research direction
Investigate existing packet comparison methods in Scapy, likely in scapy/packet.py. Explore how packets are serialized and deserialized, and check for any existing diff utilities. Consider implementing a function that takes two packets and returns a structured diff of fields, handling approximate comparisons for fields like timestamps. Review comments on issue #4739 for additional requirements.