Microsoft KB Archive/50075

= Limitations on the Use of the '*' Wildcard Character =

Article ID: 50075

Article Last Modified on 5/12/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.1
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.01 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q50075



SUMMARY
The asterisk (*) wildcard character cannot be placed before a static string in a wildcard search path. When the MS-DOS file search routines find an asterisk wildcard character in a path, the routines fill the remaining filename field with the question-mark (?) wildcard character. When this happens, any static text in the filename following the asterisk is discarded.



MORE INFORMATION
For example, the following wildcard string:   FIL*NAM.* is interpreted by MS-DOS as follows:   FIL?????.??? This string finds all files starting with the character string &quot;FIL&quot; instead of all files beginning with &quot;FIL&quot; and ending with &quot;NAM&quot; and having a non-specific number and type of characters between &quot;FIL&quot; and &quot;NAM.&quot; To find the files as described above, three separate searches must be made. These searches are as follows:   FILNAM.* FIL?NAM.* FIL??NAM.*

Additional query words: 6.22 3.20 3.21 3.30 3.30a 4.00 4.01 5.00a 5.00 6.00 6.20

Keywords: KB50075

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