Wildcards in Filenames

Wildcards in Filenames

UNIX allows wildcards in almost all commands -- it is actually a feature of the shell. Caution: UNIX also uses the wildcard characters in pattern matching, but the meaning is only similar, not identical. MPE allows wildcards in the Listf, Store, Restore, and Purge (new feature) commands.

UNIX Wildcards

Text version.

? any single character, except a leading dot
* zero or more characters, except a leading dot
[ ] defines a class of characters ( - for range, ! to exclude)

UNIX Examples:

Text version.

[abc]?? 3 character filename beginning with "a", "b", or "c".
[1-9][A-Z] 2 character filename starting with a number, and ending with an uppercase letter.
[!A-Z]?? 3 character filename that does not begin with an uppercase letter.
*e[0-9]f any file ending with "e", a single number, and "f".

MPE Wildcards

Remember that the MPE Name Space upshifts all filenames, although you can create files in the POSIX Name Space by preceding them with dot . or slash /.

Text version.

@ anything, including nothing
# a single numeric digit
? a single alphanumeric character
[ ] defines a class of characters ( - for range, no ! to exclude); :List file

MPE Examples:

Text version.

@fix@ any filename containing the string "FIX" (MPE name space implied).
./@fix@ any filename containing lowercase "fix" (:Listfile only, POSIX name space).
[ABC]?? 3 character filename beginning with "A" "B", or "C" (:Listfile only).

?	any single character, except a leading dot
*	zero or more characters, except a leading dot
[ ]	defines a class of characters ( - for range, ! to exclude)

[abc]??	3 character filename beginning with "a", "b", or "c".
[1-9][A-Z]	2 character filename starting with a number, and ending with an uppercase letter.
[!A-Z]??	3 character filename that does not begin with an uppercase letter.
*e[0-9]f	any file ending with "e", a single number, and "f".

@	anything, including nothing
#	a single numeric digit
?	a single alphanumeric character
[ ]	defines a class of characters ( - for range, no ! to exclude); :List file

@fix@	any filename containing the string "FIX" (MPE name space implied).
./@fix@	any filename containing lowercase "fix" (:Listfile only, POSIX name space).
[ABC]??	3 character filename beginning with "A" "B", or "C" (:Listfile only).