--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/test-data/src/compare_files.py	Wed Jan 27 02:50:51 2016 -0500
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+import sys
+import os
+import argparse
+
+def readfile(filepath):
+    content = []
+    with open(filepath, 'r') as open_file:
+        for row in open_file.readlines():
+            content.append(row[:-1].split(" "))
+    return content
+
+def compare_content(expected, observed, comparison):
+    if len(expected) != len(observed):
+        string = comparison + ': '
+        string += 'difference in line number\n'
+        string += '\t\texpected:' + str(len(expected)) + '\n'
+        string += '\t\tobserved:' + str(len(observed)) + '\n'
+        raise ValueError(string)
+
+    for i in range(len(expected)):
+        if expected[i] != observed[i]:
+            string = comparison + ': '
+            string += 'difference in line ' + str(i) + '\n'
+            string += '\t' + ' '.join(expected[i]) + '\n'
+            string += '\t' + ' '.join(observed[i]) + '\n'
+            raise ValueError(string)
+
+def test_file(filepath):
+    if not os.path.exists(filepath):
+        string = os.path.basename(__file__) + ':' + filepath
+        string += ' does not exist'
+        raise ValueError(string)
+
+def compare_files(expected_filepath, observed_filepath, comparison):
+    test_file(expected_filepath)
+    test_file(observed_filepath)
+
+    expected_file_content = readfile(expected_filepath)
+    observed_file_content = readfile(observed_filepath)
+    compare_content(expected_file_content, observed_file_content, comparison)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('--exp_file', required=True)
+    parser.add_argument('--obs_file', required=True)
+    parser.add_argument('--comparison', required=True)
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    compare_files(args.exp_file, args.obs_file, args.comparison)
\ No newline at end of file