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Q146221: How to Use Wildcards in a String Search Routine

Article: Q146221
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,3.0b
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbcode
Last Modified: 05-FEB-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b 
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SUMMARY
=======

FoxPro includes several functions, such as AT(), that you can use to determine
if a string is contained within another string. However, no native function
exists that will use wildcards in the string to be searched for in the larger
string. This article shows by example how to search for a string containing
wildcards within a larger string.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Sample Code
-----------

  FUNCTION wcardfind
  PARAMETER srchstr, wildcard, longstr
  STORE 0    TO ifoundat
  STORE LEN(longstr) TO ilongstrlen
  STORE LEN(ALLT(srchstr)) TO isrchstrlen
  STORE ilongstrlen - isrchstrlen TO ilastoffset
  STORE isrchstrlen - LEN(ALLT(STRTRAN(srchstr, wildcard, ""))) ;
     TO inumwcards
  STORE .F. TO lfound
  STORE 0   TO isrchoffset
  STORE (ilongstrlen > isrchstrlen) AND ;
     (LEN(wildcard)=1) AND (isrchstrlen>0) TO ok
  DO WHILE (! isrchoffset > ilastoffset) AND (! lfound) AND ok
     STORE 0 TO imatch
     FOR LOOP = 1 TO isrchstrlen
        IF ASC(SUBSTR(srchstr,LOOP,1)) = ;
             ASC(SUBSTR(longstr,LOOP+isrchoffset,1))
           imatch=imatch+1
        ENDIF
     ENDFOR
     IF imatch+inumwcards = isrchstrlen
        lfound = .T.
        ifoundat = isrchoffset+1
     ELSE
        isrchoffset=isrchoffset+1
     ENDIF
  ENDDO
  RETURN IIF(lfound,ifoundat,0)

Testing the Function
--------------------

Place the following code before the above function in a program file to test the
function. The value returned in the wait window should be 4:

     x1="d?f"
     x2="?"
     x3="abcdefgh"
     xresult=wcardfind(x1,x2,x3)
     wait wind str(xresult)

Additional query words: VFoxWin

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Keywords          : kbcode 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300 kbVFP300b
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.0b

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