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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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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 
Here's RegExp version (may be easily ported to C++).
Pros: More readable, Relies on proven RegExp
Cons: Maybe slower?, If eval string contains RegExp keywords then it might result in unexpected result
 

public static bool Match(string eval, string pattern, bool caseSensitive)
{
bool match = false;
 
// Make input parameters lower-case if case is not an issue
if (!caseSensitive)
{
eval = eval.ToLower();
pattern = pattern.ToLower();
}
 
// Escape regexp special character in pattern
pattern = pattern.Replace(".", @"\.");
 
// Replace valid wildcards with regexp equivalents
pattern = pattern.Replace('?', '.').Replace("*", ".*");
 
// Add boundaries to pattern
pattern = @"\A" + pattern + @"\z";
 
// Search for a match
try
{
match = Regex.IsMatch(eval, pattern);
}
catch /* (ArgumentException ex) */
{
// Syntax error in the regular expression
}
 
// Return result
return match;
}

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 

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