fnmatch(3G)

NAME
     fnmatch - match filename or pathname

SYNOPSIS
     #include <fnmatch.h>
     int fnmatch (const char *pattern, const char *string, int flags);

DESCRIPTION
     fnmatch compares the string specified by the string argument against the
     pattern specified by the pattern argument.

     The flags argument modifies the interpretation of pattern and string.  It
     is the bitwise inclusive OR of zero or more of the flags defined in the
     header <fnmatch.h>.  If the FNM_PATHNAME flag is set in flags, then a
     slash character in string will be explicitly matched by a slash in
     pattern; it will 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 is treated as an ordinary character.

     A backslash (`\') is used as an escape character in pattern strings.  If
     FNM_NOESCAPE is not set in flags, a backslash character (\) in pattern
     followed by any other character will match that second character in
     string.  In particular, (\\) will match a backslash in string.  If
     FNM_NOESCAPE is set, a backslash character will be treated as an ordinary
     character.

     If FNM_PERIOD is set in flags, then a leading period in string will match
     a period in pattern.  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 if string.

         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.

RETURN VALUE
     If string matches the pattern specified by pattern, then fnmatch returns
     zero.  If there is no match, fnmatch returns FNM_NOMATCH, which is
     defined in the header <fnmatch.h>.  If an error occurs, fnmatch returns
     another non-zero value.

APPLICATION USAGE
     fnmatch 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
     filenames, 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 period at the end of a filename.

SEE ALSO
     glob(3g), wordexp(3g), <fnmatch.h>.