THE WILD CARD CHARACTER

The wild card character '?' can be used in the source file name, the content filter, the data filters, and the FIND text.

(1).  WILD CARD IN THE SOURCE FILE NAME

When using the wild card in the source file name, the wild card will match every character in a scanned file name.  For example:

Source:
:M?K   <-- Match wild card file name on the boot volume.  Source files that will match:  Milk, My.Disk, Mark, Make.More.Ok.

:B:?   <-- Matches every source file that passes.

The wild card can only be used in the source file name which is defined as the last file name on the source path.

These source path descriptions are invalid:

:Hi?:Look
:Disk:I?1:red.files

These source path description are valid:

/Games/Adventures/?S?X?
:A:?1
:?Turn.The.Wheel?

The wild card will also affect the initial output of a COPY, MOVE, or BACKUP.
When the wild card character is present, File Passage will not recreate the source's last directory (the root directory).  See the documentation on these file operations for more detail.

(2).  WILD CARD IN THE CONTENT FILTER

The wild card as used in the CONTENT FILTER will match everything within a word.  Thus the end of a word as indicated by a space character, return character, or end of file, will cause the wild card scan to fail or succeed depending on the search item.

For example:
CONTENT FILTER search item:

DEBUG CODE ?     <-- Uses the wild card character.  Case sensitive is off.

Matching data:
DEBUG code copy

Will not match:
DEBUG codes copy

(3).  WILD CARD IN THE DATE FILTERS

Any of the ten text edit fields in the modification or creation date windows can be a wild card.  FP translates the wild card character and spaces as a wild card.  A wild card with numerical data is not supported:
	(1).  ?1 or ?n translate as a wild card character.
	(2).  1? would return an error.
	(3).  one or two spaces translate to a wild card.
	(4).  space followed by a wild card translate to a wild card.

Use the wild card to automatically pass data for a given field.

(4).  WILD CARD IN THE FIND TEXT

The wild card as used in the FIND TEXT will match everything without any word limitations (as in the CONTENT FILTER).  Thus the end of a word as indicated by a space character, or return character will not cause the wild card scan to fail.  Only the end of file will cause a FIND wild card scan to come up unsuccessful.

For example:
FIND TEXT search item:

DEBUG CODE?Y    <-- Uses the wild card character.  Case sensitive is off.

Matching data:
DEBUG code
:copy:

Will not match:
DEBUG coding