[#BloombergLP-bsls-OutputRedirector-compare-0e8]
= xref:BloombergLP.adoc[BloombergLP]::xref:BloombergLP/bsls.adoc[bsls]::xref:BloombergLP/bsls/OutputRedirector.adoc[OutputRedirector]::compare
:relfileprefix: ../../../
:mrdocs:

Compare the scratch buffer to the specified expected buffer&period;

== Synopsis

Declared in `&lt;bsls&lowbar;outputredirector&period;h&gt;`

[source,cpp,subs="verbatim,replacements,macros,-callouts"]
----
int
compare(
    char const* expected,
    size&lowbar;t expectedLength) const;
----

== Description

Compare the character buffer pointed to by the specified pointer `expected` with any output that has been loaded into the scratch buffer&period; The length of the `expected` buffer is supplied in the specified `expectedLength`&period; Return 0 if the `expected` buffer has the same length and contents as the scratch buffer, and non&hyphen;zero otherwise&period; Note that the `expected` buffer is allowed to contain embedded nulls&period; The behavior is undefined unless `enable` has previously been called successfully&period;

== Return Value

0 if the buffers match&semi; non&hyphen;zero otherwise

== Parameters

[cols="1,4"]
|===
| Name| Description
| *expected*
| buffer of characters to compare against the scratch buffer
| *expectedLength*
| length of the `expected` buffer in bytes
|===


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