/glob/, *not* /glohb/ To expand
wild card characters in a
* = zero or more characters (E.g.
UN*X)
? = any single character
[] any of the enclosed characters
indicate alternation of comma-separated alternatives, thus
foo
baz,qux would expand to "foobaz" or "fooqux". This
syntax generates a list of all possible expansions, rather
than matching one.
These have become sufficiently pervasive that hackers use them
Usenet news on technical topics. E.g. "He said his name was
[KC]arl" (expresses ambiguity). "I don't read
talk.politics.*" (any of the talk.politics subgroups on
Usenet). Other examples are given under the entry for
X.
Note that glob patterns are similar, but not identical, to
"glob" was a subprogram that expanded wild cards in archaic
(1997-07-16)