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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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GeneralMany thanks, with 1 small gripe ..memberDavid Patrick29 Sep '04 - 8:41 

most C compare functions return zero when the values are equal, but this function returns non-zero.
 
Personally, I find the non-zero to be more intuitive .. but after years of forcing myself to check for zero I find it a bit counter-intuitive.
 
I think I'll just rename the function when I add it to my library Smile | :)
 
But that certainly wont stop me from using this wonderful routine.
 
Many sincere thanks ...
 

GeneralRe: Many thanks, with 1 small gripe ..memberJack Handy6 Oct '04 - 8:13 
GeneralRe: Many thanks, with 1 small gripe ..memberVic Mackey16 Oct '04 - 19:33 
GeneralRe: Many thanks, with 1 small gripe ..memberVoja Intermajstor24 Nov '04 - 23:26 

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