Filename wilcard characters in cmd.exe

[Guest Sean Nelson]

I'm probably a relic, but I expected the old standard "*" (match zero or more

characters) and "?" (match any 1 character) filename wildcarding characters

to work in a Command Prompt window. They do work, after a fashion, but not

in the way I would expect. For example:

 

dir *.d?? displays files such as "Test.docx"

 

dir *s.* displays files such as "exam.xls"

 

Interestingly, the same wildcarded search patterns work as I expect in an

Explorer search window.

 

What exactly are the wildcard characters that cmd.exe accepts, and how are

they interpreted?

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Filename wilcard characters in cmd.exe

 

 

"Sean Nelson" <SeanNelson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:42D4FD28-2BC6-42DE-8236-E0A07C9772E6@microsoft.com...

> I'm probably a relic, but I expected the old standard "*" (match zero or

> more

> characters) and "?" (match any 1 character) filename wildcarding

> characters

> to work in a Command Prompt window. They do work, after a fashion, but

> not

> in the way I would expect. For example:

>

> dir *.d?? displays files such as "Test.docx"

>

> dir *s.* displays files such as "exam.xls"

>

> Interestingly, the same wildcarded search patterns work as I expect in an

> Explorer search window.

>

> What exactly are the wildcard characters that cmd.exe accepts, and how are

> they interpreted?

 

You're tripping over the Short File Name (SFN) representation of your files.

When you enter the command

dir test.* /x

then you will immediately see why your own dir command worked the way it

did.

[Guest Sean Nelson]

Re: Filename wilcard characters in cmd.exe

 

"Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

> > dir *.d?? displays files such as "Test.docx"

> > dir *s.* displays files such as "exam.xls"

> You're tripping over the Short File Name (SFN) representation of your files.

> When you enter the command

> dir test.* /x

> then you will immediately see why your own dir command worked the way it

> did.

 

Thanks - that explains the *.d?? pattern match. Is there a way to prevent

matches against the short file names (other than turning off short filename

generation altogether)?

 

But it doesn't explain why "*s.???" matches "exam.xls", since this file has

no short file name.

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Filename wilcard characters in cmd.exe

 

See below.

 

"Sean Nelson" <SeanNelson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:EF4D6E72-21F7-436C-B7CB-8226FF147FA3@microsoft.com...

> "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>> > dir *.d?? displays files such as "Test.docx"

>> > dir *s.* displays files such as "exam.xls"

>

>> You're tripping over the Short File Name (SFN) representation of your

>> files.

>> When you enter the command

>> dir test.* /x

>> then you will immediately see why your own dir command worked the way it

>> did.

>

> Thanks - that explains the *.d?? pattern match. Is there a way to prevent

> matches against the short file names (other than turning off short

> filename

> generation altogether)?

No, there isn't while SFN generation is active.

> But it doesn't explain why "*s.???" matches "exam.xls", since this file

> has

> no short file name.

You've got me there. It appears that the "*s" bit picks up the "s" in "xls"

.. . .

[Guest Jason]

Re: Filename wilcard characters in cmd.exe

 

That would be the difference between ? and *. * means everything - I only

use * at the end.

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote in message

news:uQz0$6BIJHA.468@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> See below.

>

> "Sean Nelson" <SeanNelson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:EF4D6E72-21F7-436C-B7CB-8226FF147FA3@microsoft.com...

>> "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote:

>>> > dir *.d?? displays files such as "Test.docx"

>>> > dir *s.* displays files such as "exam.xls"

>>

>>> You're tripping over the Short File Name (SFN) representation of your

>>> files.

>>> When you enter the command

>>> dir test.* /x

>>> then you will immediately see why your own dir command worked the way it

>>> did.

>>

>> Thanks - that explains the *.d?? pattern match. Is there a way to

>> prevent

>> matches against the short file names (other than turning off short

>> filename

>> generation altogether)?

> No, there isn't while SFN generation is active.

>

>> But it doesn't explain why "*s.???" matches "exam.xls", since this file

>> has

>> no short file name.

> You've got me there. It appears that the "*s" bit picks up the "s" in

> "xls" . . .

>