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Wildcard string compare (globbing)

By , 15 Feb 2005
 

Usage:

This is a fast, lightweight, and simple pattern matching function.

if (wildcmp("bl?h.*", "blah.jpg")) {
  //we have a match!
} else {
  //no match =(
}

Function:

int wildcmp(const char *wild, const char *string) {
  // Written by Jack Handy - <A href="mailto:jakkhandy@hotmail.com">jakkhandy@hotmail.com</A>
  const char *cp = NULL, *mp = NULL;

  while ((*string) && (*wild != '*')) {
    if ((*wild != *string) && (*wild != '?')) {
      return 0;
    }
    wild++;
    string++;
  }

  while (*string) {
    if (*wild == '*') {
      if (!*++wild) {
        return 1;
      }
      mp = wild;
      cp = string+1;
    } else if ((*wild == *string) || (*wild == '?')) {
      wild++;
      string++;
    } else {
      wild = mp;
      string = cp++;
    }
  }

  while (*wild == '*') {
    wild++;
  }
  return !*wild;
}

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

About the Author

Jack Handy
Web Developer
United States United States
Member
No Biography provided

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Comments and Discussions

 
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GeneralObscuritymemberChuck O'Toole25 Apr '10 - 18:18 
AnswerMy C# contribution - recursive, of course!memberRenniePet26 Mar '10 - 5:21 
GeneralRe: My C# contribution - recursive, of course!memberErwin de GRoot29 Mar '10 - 1:58 
GeneralDepends on whether you need to optimize the last few nanoseconds out of it...memberRenniePet29 Mar '10 - 7:45 
GeneralSorry - revised numbersmemberRenniePet29 Mar '10 - 8:35 
GeneralRe: Depends on whether you need to optimize the last few nanoseconds out of it...memberErwin de GRoot29 Mar '10 - 8:37 
GeneralYet another version - 25% faster, I think [modified]memberRenniePet1 Apr '10 - 8:24 
GeneralRe: Yet another version - 25% faster, I thinkmemberaleks1k21 Sep '11 - 2:47 
QuestionI used this function but I how I can catch variables from the * ???membermoh.hijjawi20 Oct '09 - 1:55 
AnswerRe: I used this function but I how I can catch variables from the * ???memberRenniePet1 Apr '10 - 11:27 
Questionany updates ?memberalhambra-eidos2 Jul '09 - 5:12 
GeneralImproved matching with end-of-textmemberAnders Heie11 May '09 - 15:20 
GeneralRe: Improved matching with end-of-text: some cases don't work properly!memberroadrunner31412 Aug '09 - 3:35 
some cases don't work properly:
 
wildstring = "a*bc"
matchstring = "abbc"
should be true, but it returns false
 
wildstring = "a*b"
matchstring = "a"
should be false, but it returns true
 
wildstring = "a*?b"
matchstring = "axb"
should be true, but it returns false
 
wildstring = "a**b"
matchstring = "axb"
should be true, but it returns false (ok, the two ** aren't useful, but they should work)
 
I solved the last 3 bugs, but the first one is a bit tricky...
bool StrWildCmp(char* wildstring, char *matchstring){
   char stopstring[1];
   *stopstring = '\0';
 
   while(*matchstring != '\0')
   {
      if (*wildstring == '*') 
      {
         do
         {         
            wildstring++;            
         } while (*wildstring == '*');  // if a dork entered two or more * in a row 
                                        // ignore them and go ahead
         
         if (*wildstring == '\0')   // if * was the last char, the strings are equal
         {
            return TRUE;
         }
         else
         {
            *stopstring = *wildstring; // the next char to check after the *
         }
      }
 
      if(*stopstring != '\0')
      {
         if((*stopstring == *matchstring) || (*stopstring == '?') ) 
         {
            wildstring++;
            *stopstring = '\0';
         }
         matchstring++;
      }
      else
         if((*wildstring == *matchstring) || (*wildstring == '?'))
         {
            wildstring++;
            matchstring++;
         }
         else
         {
            return FALSE;
         }
 
      if( (*matchstring == '\0') && (*wildstring != '\0') )
      {
         // matchstring seems to be too short. Check if wildstring has any more chars except '*'
         while (*wildstring == '*') // ignore following '*'
            wildstring++;
         
         if (*wildstring == '\0') // if wildstring endet after '*', strings are equal
            return TRUE;
         else
            return FALSE;
      }
}

QuestionPathMatchSpec instead?memberkintz25 Mar '09 - 8:55 
AnswerRe: PathMatchSpec instead?memberMandatoryDefault31 Aug '09 - 10:39 
Questionwchar_t version?memberrmorales8729 Nov '08 - 20:16 
AnswerRe: wchar_t version?memberrazvar31 Mar '11 - 21:49 
Generalwildcmp in XBLitememberCodeGibbon27 Nov '08 - 13:56 
GeneralWildcard string compare in C#memberhaiquang10 Nov '08 - 22:15 
GeneralRe: Wildcard string compare in C#memberhaiquang3 Aug '09 - 22:22 
GeneralC# Direct Portmemberhempels23 Sep '08 - 15:10 
General...and yet another C# port [modified]memberDVF27 Aug '10 - 16:59 
GeneralRe: ...and yet another C# portmemberVUnreal21 Sep '10 - 11:22 
General[Message Removed]memberstonber18 Sep '08 - 14:22 
GeneralUsing in Artistic Stylememberjimp023 Apr '08 - 4:43 
GeneralGeez...memberlarryfr5 Mar '08 - 9:39 
QuestionConvert to a replace?memberwilliaps20 Mar '07 - 8:31 
GeneralC# RexExp versionmemberspinsane4 Nov '06 - 6:30 
GeneralKudosmemberquantumred14 Oct '06 - 4:37 
GeneralRe: Kudosmembermilkplus24 Feb '10 - 11:19 
Generalwildcmp(&quot;*&amp;lt;*&amp;gt;&quot;, &quot;&amp;lt;field1&amp;gt;&amp;lt;field2&amp;gt;&quot;) not working [modified]memberDaniel B.6 Sep '06 - 13:14 
GeneralRe: wildcmp(&quot;*&amp;lt;*&amp;gt;&quot;, &quot;&amp;lt;field1&amp;gt;&amp;lt;field2&amp;gt;&quot;) not workingmemberradboudp16 Feb '07 - 0:35 
Generalreturn value typememberwdx048 Jan '06 - 15:49 
General*? case matchmembertalimu3 Nov '05 - 23:42 
GeneralRe: *? case matchmemberkuhnm15 Sep '06 - 2:18 
GeneralRe: *? case matchmemberkuhnm18 Sep '06 - 4:48 
GeneralGets my 5memberFranc Morales18 Oct '05 - 17:05 
Generalmp and cpmembertwopieman15 Mar '05 - 11:59 
GeneralRe: mp and cpmemberradboudp16 Feb '07 - 1:14 
GeneralOK, but ...memberSam Levy16 Feb '05 - 4:48 
QuestionWhy make 3 loop ?memberDarkYoda Mickael2 Feb '05 - 22:22 
AnswerRe: Why make 3 loop ?memberJack Handy13 Feb '05 - 10:02 
GeneralC# versionmemberSancy26 Oct '04 - 6:23 
GeneralRe: C# versionsussPsyk6621 Dec '04 - 3:39 
GeneralRe: C# versionmemberIonut FIlip22 Feb '05 - 6:15 
GeneralRe: C# versionmemberrobagar3 Apr '06 - 16:58 
GeneralRe: C# versionmemberSancy5 Jun '06 - 16:01 
GeneralConvert to java base on C# version [modified, better look :~ ]memberquangtin321 Mar '08 - 21:13 
GeneralRe: C# version - an error!memberMark T.4 Jul '08 - 14:37 
GeneralRe: C# versionmemberwilliamhix17 Oct '08 - 22:28 

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