docs/reference/glib/html/glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html

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  24 <a href="#glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.synopsis" class="shortcut">Top</a>
  25                    |
  26                   <a href="#glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.description" class="shortcut">Description</a>
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  29 <div class="refentry">
  30 <a name="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching"></a><div class="titlepage"></div>
  31 <div class="refnamediv"><table width="100%"><tr>
  32 <td valign="top">
  33 <h2><span class="refentrytitle"><a name="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.top_of_page"></a>Glob-style pattern matching</span></h2>
  34 <p>Glob-style pattern matching — matches strings against patterns containing '*'
  35                     (wildcard) and '?' (joker)</p>
  36 </td>
  37 <td valign="top" align="right"></td>
  38 </tr></table></div>
  39 <div class="refsynopsisdiv">
  40 <a name="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.synopsis"></a><h2>Synopsis</h2>
  41 <pre class="synopsis">
  42 #include &lt;glib.h&gt;
  43
  44                     <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec">GPatternSpec</a>;
  45 <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="returnvalue">GPatternSpec</span></a> *      <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-spec-new" title="g_pattern_spec_new ()">g_pattern_spec_new</a>                  (<em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *pattern</code></em>);
  46 <span class="returnvalue">void</span>                <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-spec-free" title="g_pattern_spec_free ()">g_pattern_spec_free</a>                 (<em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec</code></em>);
  47 <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gboolean" title="gboolean"><span class="returnvalue">gboolean</span></a>            <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-spec-equal" title="g_pattern_spec_equal ()">g_pattern_spec_equal</a>                (<em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec1</code></em>,
  48                                                          <em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec2</code></em>);
  49 <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gboolean" title="gboolean"><span class="returnvalue">gboolean</span></a>            <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match" title="g_pattern_match ()">g_pattern_match</a>                     (<em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec</code></em>,
  50                                                          <em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#guint" title="guint"><span class="type">guint</span></a> string_length</code></em>,
  51                                                          <em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *string</code></em>,
  52                                                          <em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *string_reversed</code></em>);
  53 <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gboolean" title="gboolean"><span class="returnvalue">gboolean</span></a>            <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match-string" title="g_pattern_match_string ()">g_pattern_match_string</a>              (<em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec</code></em>,
  54                                                          <em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *string</code></em>);
  55 <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gboolean" title="gboolean"><span class="returnvalue">gboolean</span></a>            <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match-simple" title="g_pattern_match_simple ()">g_pattern_match_simple</a>              (<em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *pattern</code></em>,
  56                                                          <em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *string</code></em>);
  57 </pre>
  58 </div>
  59 <div class="refsect1">
  60 <a name="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.description"></a><h2>Description</h2>
  61 <p>
  62 The <code class="function">g_pattern_match*</code> functions match a string
  63 against a pattern containing '*' and '?' wildcards with similar
  64 semantics as the standard <code class="function">glob()</code> function: '*' matches an arbitrary,
  65 possibly empty, string, '?' matches an arbitrary character.
  66 </p>
  67 <p>
  68 Note that in contrast to <code class="function">glob()</code>, the '/' character
  69 <span class="emphasis"><em>can</em></span> be matched by the wildcards, there are no
  70 '[...]' character ranges and '*' and '?' can
  71 <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> be escaped to include them literally in a
  72 pattern.
  73 </p>
  74 <p>
  75 When multiple strings must be matched against the same pattern, it
  76 is better to compile the pattern to a <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> using
  77 <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-spec-new" title="g_pattern_spec_new ()"><code class="function">g_pattern_spec_new()</code></a> and use <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match-string" title="g_pattern_match_string ()"><code class="function">g_pattern_match_string()</code></a> instead of
  78 <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match-simple" title="g_pattern_match_simple ()"><code class="function">g_pattern_match_simple()</code></a>. This avoids the overhead of repeated
  79 pattern compilation.
  80 </p>
  81 </div>
  82 <div class="refsect1">
  83 <a name="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.details"></a><h2>Details</h2>
  84 <div class="refsect2">
  85 <a name="GPatternSpec"></a><h3>GPatternSpec</h3>
  86 <pre class="programlisting">typedef struct _GPatternSpec GPatternSpec;</pre>
  87 <p>
  88 A <span class="structname">GPatternSpec</span> is the 'compiled' form of a
  89 pattern. This structure is opaque and its fields cannot be accessed
  90 directly.
  91 </p>
  92 </div>
  93 <hr>
  94 <div class="refsect2">
  95 <a name="g-pattern-spec-new"></a><h3>g_pattern_spec_new ()</h3>
  96 <pre class="programlisting"><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="returnvalue">GPatternSpec</span></a> *      g_pattern_spec_new                  (<em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *pattern</code></em>);</pre>
  97 <p>
  98 Compiles a pattern to a <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a>.
  99 </p>
 100 <div class="variablelist"><table border="0">
 101 <col align="left" valign="top">
 102 <tbody>
 103 <tr>
 104 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>pattern</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 105 <td>a zero-terminated UTF-8 encoded string</td>
 106 </tr>
 107 <tr>
 108 <td><p><span class="term"><span class="emphasis"><em>Returns</em></span> :</span></p></td>
 109 <td>a newly-allocated <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a>
 110 </td>
 111 </tr>
 112 </tbody>
 113 </table></div>
 114 </div>
 115 <hr>
 116 <div class="refsect2">
 117 <a name="g-pattern-spec-free"></a><h3>g_pattern_spec_free ()</h3>
 118 <pre class="programlisting"><span class="returnvalue">void</span>                g_pattern_spec_free                 (<em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec</code></em>);</pre>
 119 <p>
 120 Frees the memory allocated for the <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a>.
 121 </p>
 122 <div class="variablelist"><table border="0">
 123 <col align="left" valign="top">
 124 <tbody><tr>
 125 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>pspec</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 126 <td>a <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a>
 127 </td>
 128 </tr></tbody>
 129 </table></div>
 130 </div>
 131 <hr>
 132 <div class="refsect2">
 133 <a name="g-pattern-spec-equal"></a><h3>g_pattern_spec_equal ()</h3>
 134 <pre class="programlisting"><a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gboolean" title="gboolean"><span class="returnvalue">gboolean</span></a>            g_pattern_spec_equal                (<em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec1</code></em>,
 135                                                          <em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec2</code></em>);</pre>
 136 <p>
 137 Compares two compiled pattern specs and returns whether they will
 138 match the same set of strings.
 139 </p>
 140 <div class="variablelist"><table border="0">
 141 <col align="left" valign="top">
 142 <tbody>
 143 <tr>
 144 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>pspec1</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 145 <td>a <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a>
 146 </td>
 147 </tr>
 148 <tr>
 149 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>pspec2</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 150 <td>another <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a>
 151 </td>
 152 </tr>
 153 <tr>
 154 <td><p><span class="term"><span class="emphasis"><em>Returns</em></span> :</span></p></td>
 155 <td>Whether the compiled patterns are equal</td>
 156 </tr>
 157 </tbody>
 158 </table></div>
 159 </div>
 160 <hr>
 161 <div class="refsect2">
 162 <a name="g-pattern-match"></a><h3>g_pattern_match ()</h3>
 163 <pre class="programlisting"><a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gboolean" title="gboolean"><span class="returnvalue">gboolean</span></a>            g_pattern_match                     (<em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec</code></em>,
 164                                                          <em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#guint" title="guint"><span class="type">guint</span></a> string_length</code></em>,
 165                                                          <em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *string</code></em>,
 166                                                          <em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *string_reversed</code></em>);</pre>
 167 <p>
 168 Matches a string against a compiled pattern. Passing the correct
 169 length of the string given is mandatory. The reversed string can be
 170 omitted by passing <a class="link" href="glib-Standard-Macros.html#NULL:CAPS" title="NULL"><code class="literal">NULL</code></a>, this is more efficient if the reversed
 171 version of the string to be matched is not at hand, as
 172 <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match" title="g_pattern_match ()"><code class="function">g_pattern_match()</code></a> will only construct it if the compiled pattern
 173 requires reverse matches.
 174 </p>
 175 <p>
 176 Note that, if the user code will (possibly) match a string against a
 177 multitude of patterns containing wildcards, chances are high that
 178 some patterns will require a reversed string. In this case, it's
 179 more efficient to provide the reversed string to avoid multiple
 180 constructions thereof in the various calls to <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match" title="g_pattern_match ()"><code class="function">g_pattern_match()</code></a>.
 181 </p>
 182 <p>
 183 Note also that the reverse of a UTF-8 encoded string can in general
 184 <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> be obtained by <a class="link" href="glib-String-Utility-Functions.html#g-strreverse" title="g_strreverse ()"><code class="function">g_strreverse()</code></a>. This works
 185 only if the string doesn't contain any multibyte characters. GLib
 186 offers the <a class="link" href="glib-Unicode-Manipulation.html#g-utf8-strreverse" title="g_utf8_strreverse ()"><code class="function">g_utf8_strreverse()</code></a> function to reverse UTF-8 encoded
 187 strings.
 188 </p>
 189 <div class="variablelist"><table border="0">
 190 <col align="left" valign="top">
 191 <tbody>
 192 <tr>
 193 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>pspec</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 194 <td>a <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a>
 195 </td>
 196 </tr>
 197 <tr>
 198 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>string_length</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 199 <td>the length of <em class="parameter"><code>string</code></em> (in bytes, i.e. <code class="function">strlen()</code>,
 200 <span class="emphasis"><em>not</em></span> <a class="link" href="glib-Unicode-Manipulation.html#g-utf8-strlen" title="g_utf8_strlen ()"><code class="function">g_utf8_strlen()</code></a>)</td>
 201 </tr>
 202 <tr>
 203 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>string</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 204 <td>the UTF-8 encoded string to match</td>
 205 </tr>
 206 <tr>
 207 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>string_reversed</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 208 <td>the reverse of <em class="parameter"><code>string</code></em> or <a class="link" href="glib-Standard-Macros.html#NULL:CAPS" title="NULL"><code class="literal">NULL</code></a>. <span class="annotation">[<acronym title="NULL is ok, both for passing and for returning."><span class="acronym">allow-none</span></acronym>]</span>
 209 </td>
 210 </tr>
 211 <tr>
 212 <td><p><span class="term"><span class="emphasis"><em>Returns</em></span> :</span></p></td>
 213 <td>
 214 <a class="link" href="glib-Standard-Macros.html#TRUE:CAPS" title="TRUE"><code class="literal">TRUE</code></a> if <em class="parameter"><code>string</code></em> matches <em class="parameter"><code>pspec</code></em>
 215 </td>
 216 </tr>
 217 </tbody>
 218 </table></div>
 219 </div>
 220 <hr>
 221 <div class="refsect2">
 222 <a name="g-pattern-match-string"></a><h3>g_pattern_match_string ()</h3>
 223 <pre class="programlisting"><a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gboolean" title="gboolean"><span class="returnvalue">gboolean</span></a>            g_pattern_match_string              (<em class="parameter"><code><a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a> *pspec</code></em>,
 224                                                          <em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *string</code></em>);</pre>
 225 <p>
 226 Matches a string against a compiled pattern. If the string is to be
 227 matched against more than one pattern, consider using
 228 <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match" title="g_pattern_match ()"><code class="function">g_pattern_match()</code></a> instead while supplying the reversed string.
 229 </p>
 230 <div class="variablelist"><table border="0">
 231 <col align="left" valign="top">
 232 <tbody>
 233 <tr>
 234 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>pspec</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 235 <td>a <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#GPatternSpec" title="GPatternSpec"><span class="type">GPatternSpec</span></a>
 236 </td>
 237 </tr>
 238 <tr>
 239 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>string</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 240 <td>the UTF-8 encoded string to match</td>
 241 </tr>
 242 <tr>
 243 <td><p><span class="term"><span class="emphasis"><em>Returns</em></span> :</span></p></td>
 244 <td>
 245 <a class="link" href="glib-Standard-Macros.html#TRUE:CAPS" title="TRUE"><code class="literal">TRUE</code></a> if <em class="parameter"><code>string</code></em> matches <em class="parameter"><code>pspec</code></em>
 246 </td>
 247 </tr>
 248 </tbody>
 249 </table></div>
 250 </div>
 251 <hr>
 252 <div class="refsect2">
 253 <a name="g-pattern-match-simple"></a><h3>g_pattern_match_simple ()</h3>
 254 <pre class="programlisting"><a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gboolean" title="gboolean"><span class="returnvalue">gboolean</span></a>            g_pattern_match_simple              (<em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *pattern</code></em>,
 255                                                          <em class="parameter"><code>const <a class="link" href="glib-Basic-Types.html#gchar" title="gchar"><span class="type">gchar</span></a> *string</code></em>);</pre>
 256 <p>
 257 Matches a string against a pattern given as a string. If this
 258 function is to be called in a loop, it's more efficient to compile
 259 the pattern once with <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-spec-new" title="g_pattern_spec_new ()"><code class="function">g_pattern_spec_new()</code></a> and call
 260 <a class="link" href="glib-Glob-style-pattern-matching.html#g-pattern-match-string" title="g_pattern_match_string ()"><code class="function">g_pattern_match_string()</code></a> repeatedly.
 261 </p>
 262 <div class="variablelist"><table border="0">
 263 <col align="left" valign="top">
 264 <tbody>
 265 <tr>
 266 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>pattern</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 267 <td>the UTF-8 encoded pattern</td>
 268 </tr>
 269 <tr>
 270 <td><p><span class="term"><em class="parameter"><code>string</code></em> :</span></p></td>
 271 <td>the UTF-8 encoded string to match</td>
 272 </tr>
 273 <tr>
 274 <td><p><span class="term"><span class="emphasis"><em>Returns</em></span> :</span></p></td>
 275 <td>
 276 <a class="link" href="glib-Standard-Macros.html#TRUE:CAPS" title="TRUE"><code class="literal">TRUE</code></a> if <em class="parameter"><code>string</code></em> matches <em class="parameter"><code>pspec</code></em>
 277 </td>
 278 </tr>
 279 </tbody>
 280 </table></div>
 281 </div>
 282 </div>
 283 </div>
 284 <div class="footer">
 285 <hr>
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