glob

/glob/, *not* /glohb/ To expand wild card characters in a

path name.

In Unix the file name wild cards are:

* = zero or more characters (E.g. UN*X)

? = any single character

[] any of the enclosed characters

indicate alternation of comma-separated alternatives, thus

foobaz,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

in written English, especially in electronic mail or

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

those used in regexps.

"glob" was a subprogram that expanded wild cards in archaic

pre-Bourne versions of the Unix shell.

(1997-07-16)