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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
No Biography provided

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Comments and Discussions

 
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GeneralMy vote of 5memberFranc Morales29-May-13 15:47 
Questionhelp required for wilcard matching * and #memberSaimaAsif23-Feb-12 23:56 
GeneralMy vote of 5memberPlamen Petrov13-Dec-11 21:37 
SuggestionModification with '#' as wildcard joker for digits [modified]memberThomas Haase25-Sep-11 23:16 
First of all I like this code, it is small and fully stand-alone.
I have modified it, because I need an additional wildcard joker that represents digits. Finally the modified function accepts '*', '?' and '#' as joker characters.
 
int wildcmp_ex(const char *wild, const char *string) {
  const char *cp = NULL, *mp = NULL;
 
  while (*string) {
    if (*wild == '*') {
      if (!*++wild) {
        return 1;
      }
      mp = wild;
      cp = string+1;
    } else if (((*wild == *string) && (*wild != '#')) || (*wild == '?') || ((*wild == '#') && isdigit(*string))) {
      wild++;
      string++;
    } else {
      if (mp)
      {
        wild = mp;
        string = cp++;
      }
      else
      {
        return 0;
      }
    }
  }
 
  while (*wild == '*') {
    wild++;
  }
  return !*wild;
}
Thomas Haase


modified 29-Sep-11 8:26am.

QuestionLicence Questionmemberrandommark23-Nov-10 0:33 
AnswerAnother C# version, with a twistmembertomlev29-Jun-10 14:50 
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 
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 

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