Ferret is a copy-detection tool, locating duplicate text or code in multiple text documents or source files. It is designed to detect copying (collusion) within a given set of files. Ferret is useful for document analysis, tracking changes to or reuse of text in documents; for software developers, looking for duplicate code to refactor; in software evolution, studying how code has changed over time; for teachers, looking for collusion or plagiarism in student work; and for tracking the amount of new material in the current version of a text or program.
