Explaining Wildcard Characters
Quick answer: BricsCAD accepts the common wildcard characters below for filtering and searching, the same syntax behind the Wildcard match operator covered on this hub’s Quick Select page.
The Wildcard Characters
| Character | Matches |
|---|---|
# |
Any numeric digit |
@ |
Any alphabetic character |
. |
Any non-alphanumeric character |
* |
Any string, usable anywhere within the search string |
? |
Any single character, for example, ?BC matches ABC, 3BC, and so on |
[ ] |
Any one of the enclosed characters, for example, [AB]C matches AC and BC |
[~] |
Any character not enclosed, for example, [~AB]C matches XC, but not AC |
[-] |
A range for a single character, for example, [A-G]C matches AC through GC, but not HC |
` (reverse quote) |
Reads the next character literally, for example, `~AB matches ~AB |
Note: Octave’s own reference table lists [~] twice with identical descriptions, a duplicate entry rather than two distinct wildcard characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search for a literal tilde character instead of using it as a wildcard? Precede it with a reverse quote (backtick), which reads the next character literally rather than as a wildcard.
What’s the difference between the ? and * wildcards? ? matches exactly one character in that position. * matches any string of any length, and can appear anywhere in the search string.
How do I match a range of letters, like A through G, in one position? Use [A-G], which specifies a range for that single character position.
Where in BricsCAD can I actually use these wildcard characters? Anywhere a wildcard match is supported, including Quick Select’s Wildcard match operator, covered elsewhere in this hub.