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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.

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About the Author

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

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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 
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 
This is great and got my 5 because is simple, fast and useful!
 
Here is the wchar_t version:
 
int wildcmp(const wchar_t *wild, const wchar_t *string)
  {
  const wchar_t *cp = NULL, *mp = NULL;
 
  while ((*string) && (*wild != L'*')) {
    if ((towlower(*wild) != towlower(*string)) && (*wild != L'?')) {
      return 0;
    }
    wild++;
    string++;
  }
 
  while (*string) {
    if (*wild == L'*') {
      if (!*++wild) {
        return 1;
      }
      mp = wild;
      cp = string+1;
    } else if ((towlower(*wild) == towlower(*string)) || (*wild == L'?')) {
      wild++;
      string++;
    } else {
      wild = mp;
      string = cp++;
    }
  }
 
  while (*wild == L'*') {
    wild++;
  }
  return !*wild;
}
 
Example:
 
if (wildcmp(L"*bl?h.*", L"asblah.plm")) {
  //we have a match!
   MessageBox(0,"we have a match!","wildcmp wide",MB_TOPMOST);
} else {
  //no match =(
      MessageBox(0,"no match!","wildcmp wide",MB_TOPMOST);
}
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink
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 
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About Article
Matches a string against a wildcard string such as "*.*" or "bl?h.*" etc. This is good for file globbing or to match hostmasks.
Type Article
Licence 
First Posted 1 May 2001
Views 682,796
Bookmarked 89 times

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