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Wildcard string compare (globbing)

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4.90/5 (82 votes)
15 Feb 2005 1.1M   96   144
Matches a string against a wildcard string such as "*.*" or "bl?h.*" etc. This is good for file globbing or to match hostmasks.

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

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Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralRe: wildcmp(&quot;*&amp;lt;*&amp;gt;&quot;, &quot;&amp;lt;field1&amp;gt;&amp;lt;field2&amp;gt;&quot;) not working Pin
radboudp16-Feb-07 0:35
radboudp16-Feb-07 0:35 
Generalreturn value type Pin
wdx048-Jan-06 15:49
wdx048-Jan-06 15:49 
General*? case match Pin
talimu3-Nov-05 23:42
talimu3-Nov-05 23:42 
GeneralRe: *? case match Pin
kuhnm15-Sep-06 2:18
kuhnm15-Sep-06 2:18 
GeneralRe: *? case match Pin
kuhnm18-Sep-06 4:48
kuhnm18-Sep-06 4:48 
GeneralGets my 5 Pin
Franc Morales18-Oct-05 17:05
Franc Morales18-Oct-05 17:05 
Generalmp and cp Pin
Member 102826915-Mar-05 11:59
Member 102826915-Mar-05 11:59 
GeneralRe: mp and cp Pin
radboudp16-Feb-07 1:14
radboudp16-Feb-07 1:14 
In case you are matching something like the following:

"*.abc" to "ab.de.abc"

In the second loop it looks for the first character after the asterisk that is the same in the string. At first it matches "*" against "ab". mp = ".abc" during this. Now wild = ".abc" and string = ".de.abc". Obvious no match. On the next loop the first characters do match (both '.') and wild becomes "abc" and string "de.abc". The next loop there is no match and it falls to the else. Here it resets wild to the last mp (mask pattern??) and string to the last cp (character pattern) WITHOUT THE FIRST CHARACTER. (It actually advances cp one position.)

Why does it do this. After matching the * against part of the string and encountering a possible poisiton where to match the remainder of the pattern, it continued comparing characters from both to each other. This fialed. Since right before the position of mp there was a *, it is still allowed to add characters to the part that is matched against that. Basically, it goes back to that position but decides that the character that occurs in both strings is not the next character in the pattern but part of the '*' wildcard.

In the end it has matched '*' with 'ab.de'.
GeneralOK, but ... Pin
Sam Levy16-Feb-05 4:48
Sam Levy16-Feb-05 4:48 
QuestionWhy make 3 loop ? Pin
DarkYoda M2-Feb-05 22:22
DarkYoda M2-Feb-05 22:22 
AnswerRe: Why make 3 loop ? Pin
Jack Handy13-Feb-05 10:02
Jack Handy13-Feb-05 10:02 
GeneralC# version Pin
Sancy26-Oct-04 6:23
Sancy26-Oct-04 6:23 
GeneralRe: C# version Pin
Psyk6621-Dec-04 3:39
Psyk6621-Dec-04 3:39 
GeneralRe: C# version Pin
Ionut FIlip22-Feb-05 6:15
Ionut FIlip22-Feb-05 6:15 
GeneralRe: C# version Pin
robagar3-Apr-06 16:58
robagar3-Apr-06 16:58 
GeneralRe: C# version Pin
Sancy5-Jun-06 16:01
Sancy5-Jun-06 16:01 
GeneralConvert to java base on C# version [modified, better look :~ ] Pin
quangtin321-Mar-08 21:13
quangtin321-Mar-08 21:13 
GeneralRe: C# version - an error! Pin
Mark T.4-Jul-08 14:37
Mark T.4-Jul-08 14:37 
GeneralRe: C# version Pin
williamhix17-Oct-08 22:28
williamhix17-Oct-08 22:28 
GeneralMany thanks, with 1 small gripe .. Pin
David Patrick29-Sep-04 8:41
David Patrick29-Sep-04 8:41 
GeneralRe: Many thanks, with 1 small gripe .. Pin
Jack Handy6-Oct-04 8:13
Jack Handy6-Oct-04 8:13 
GeneralRe: Many thanks, with 1 small gripe .. Pin
Vic Mackey16-Oct-04 19:33
Vic Mackey16-Oct-04 19:33 
GeneralRe: Many thanks, with 1 small gripe .. Pin
Voja Intermajstor24-Nov-04 23:26
Voja Intermajstor24-Nov-04 23:26 
GeneralNice code... Pin
Voja Intermajstor25-Aug-04 2:30
Voja Intermajstor25-Aug-04 2:30 
GeneralSlight efficiency improvement Pin
GKarRacer9-Jul-04 6:53
GKarRacer9-Jul-04 6:53 

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