equivalex

defmodule Equivalex do
  use Bitwise

  @moduledoc """
  polymorphic constant time comparisons

  Compare arbitrary structures, using constant time comparisons
  where possible.  This might allow for checking of multiple strings
  in a "secure" (constant time) way, without leaking timing information.

  """

  @doc """
  determine if two structures are the same

  Comprisons are done bitwise on the destructured data.

  The only short-circuits are for structures of differing sizes.  Thus,
  information about whether a suspect string is of the correct length
  may be leaked.
  """
  @spec equal?(term,term) :: boolean
  def equal?(a,b), do: differing_elements(a,b,0) == 0

  defp differing_elements(a,b,_c) when is_map(a) and is_map(b) do
    differing_elements(Map.to_list(a) |> Enum.sort, Map.to_list(b) |> Enum.sort, 0)
  end
  defp differing_elements(a,b,_c) when is_tuple(a) and is_tuple(b) do
    differing_elements(Tuple.to_list(a), Tuple.to_list(b), 0)
  end
  defp differing_elements([],[],c), do: c
  defp differing_elements([a|ra],[b|rb],c), do: differing_elements(ra, rb, c ||| comparison(a,b))
  defp differing_elements(<<>>, <<>>, c), do: c
  defp differing_elements(<<a::size(1),ra::bitstring>>, <<b::size(1),rb::bitstring>>, c) do
    differing_elements(ra, rb, c ||| comparison(a,b))
  end
  defp differing_elements(_a,_b,_c), do: 1

  defp comparison(a,b) when (is_list(a)   and is_list(b))
                       or   (is_tuple(a)  and is_tuple(b))
                       or   (is_map(a)    and is_map(b))
                       or   (is_binary(a) and is_binary(b)), do: differing_elements(a,b,0)
  defp comparison(a,b), do: if a == b, do: 0, else: 1

end