|
HTML rendering created 2025-09-06 by Michael Kerrisk, author of The Linux Programming Interface. For details of in-depth Linux/UNIX system programming training courses that I teach, look here. Hosting by jambit GmbH. |
|
|
PROLOG | NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | RETURN VALUE | ERRORS | EXAMPLES | APPLICATION USAGE | RATIONALE | FUTURE DIRECTIONS | SEE ALSO | COPYRIGHT |
|
|
|
FNMATCH(3P) POSIX Programmer's Manual FNMATCH(3P)
This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The
Linux implementation of this interface may differ (consult the
corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or
the interface may not be implemented on Linux.
fnmatch — match a filename string or a pathname
#include <fnmatch.h>
int fnmatch(const char *pattern, const char *string, int flags);
The fnmatch() function shall match patterns as described in the
Shell and Utilities volume of POSIX.1‐2017, Section 2.13.1,
Patterns Matching a Single Character and Section 2.13.2, Patterns
Matching Multiple Characters. It checks the string specified by
the string argument to see if it matches the pattern specified by
the pattern argument.
The flags argument shall modify the interpretation of pattern and
string. It is the bitwise-inclusive OR of zero or more of the
flags defined in <fnmatch.h>. If the FNM_PATHNAME flag is set in
flags, then a <slash> character ('/') in string shall be
explicitly matched by a <slash> in pattern; it shall not be
matched by either the <asterisk> or <question-mark> special
characters, nor by a bracket expression. If the FNM_PATHNAME flag
is not set, the <slash> character shall be treated as an ordinary
character.
If FNM_NOESCAPE is not set in flags, a <backslash> character in
pattern followed by any other character shall match that second
character in string. In particular, "\\" shall match a
<backslash> in string. If pattern ends with an unescaped
<backslash>, fnmatch() shall return a non-zero value (indicating
either no match or an error). If FNM_NOESCAPE is set, a
<backslash> character shall be treated as an ordinary character.
If FNM_PERIOD is set in flags, then a leading <period> ('.') in
string shall match a <period> in pattern; as described by rule 2
in the Shell and Utilities volume of POSIX.1‐2017, Section 2.13.3,
Patterns Used for Filename Expansion where the location of
``leading'' is indicated by the value of FNM_PATHNAME:
* If FNM_PATHNAME is set, a <period> is ``leading'' if it is the
first character in string or if it immediately follows a
<slash>.
* If FNM_PATHNAME is not set, a <period> is ``leading'' only if
it is the first character of string.
If FNM_PERIOD is not set, then no special restrictions are placed
on matching a period.
If string matches the pattern specified by pattern, then fnmatch()
shall return 0. If there is no match, fnmatch() shall return
FNM_NOMATCH, which is defined in <fnmatch.h>. If an error occurs,
fnmatch() shall return another non-zero value.
No errors are defined.
The following sections are informative.
None.
The fnmatch() function has two major uses. It could be used by an
application or utility that needs to read a directory and apply a
pattern against each entry. The find utility is an example of
this. It can also be used by the pax utility to process its
pattern operands, or by applications that need to match strings in
a similar manner.
The name fnmatch() is intended to imply filename match, rather
than pathname match. The default action of this function is to
match filename strings, rather than pathnames, since it gives no
special significance to the <slash> character. With the
FNM_PATHNAME flag, fnmatch() does match pathnames, but without
tilde expansion, parameter expansion, or special treatment for a
<period> at the beginning of a filename.
This function replaced the REG_FILENAME flag of regcomp() in early
proposals of this volume of POSIX.1‐2017. It provides virtually
the same functionality as the regcomp() and regexec() functions
using the REG_FILENAME and REG_FSLASH flags (the REG_FSLASH flag
was proposed for regcomp(), and would have had the opposite effect
from FNM_PATHNAME), but with a simpler function and less system
overhead.
None.
glob(3p), Section 2.6, Word Expansions
The Base Definitions volume of POSIX.1‐2017, fnmatch.h(0p)
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic
form from IEEE Std 1003.1-2017, Standard for Information
Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The
Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7, 2018 Edition, Copyright
(C) 2018 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,
Inc and The Open Group. In the event of any discrepancy between
this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard,
the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee
document. The original Standard can be obtained online at
http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .
Any typographical or formatting errors that appear in this page
are most likely to have been introduced during the conversion of
the source files to man page format. To report such errors, see
https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .
IEEE/The Open Group 2017 FNMATCH(3P)
Pages that refer to this page: fnmatch.h(0p), glob(3p), regcomp(3p), wordexp(3p)
|
HTML rendering created 2025-09-06 by Michael Kerrisk, author of The Linux Programming Interface. For details of in-depth Linux/UNIX system programming training courses that I teach, look here. Hosting by jambit GmbH. |
|