HFS: File masks: Difference between revisions
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== | == What is it? == | ||
A file mask denotes a set of files. It is usually something like this: <tt>*.jpg;*.gif</tt>. This example denotes any jpeg and gif files. | |||
Remember that the characters used in filenames are not case sensitive: so <tt>*.jpg</tt> and <tt>*.JPG</tt> refer to exactly the same set of files. | |||
== | == How does it work? == | ||
The example above shows a ''double'' file mask. It has two atoms separated by the semicolon: ''*.jpg'' | |||
and ''*.gif''. The semicolon is used to merge multiple masks: it is a ''special'' character. | |||
There are only three special characters in file masks: ''';''' '''*''' and '''?'''. | |||
== | == The star (*) == | ||
The star (also called "asterisk") stands for ''any string'' of characters. If the mask contains only the star, it matches ANY file. | The star (also called "asterisk") stands for ''any string'' of characters. If the mask contains only the star, it matches ANY file. | ||
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but also ''A.jpg''. | but also ''A.jpg''. | ||
== | == The question mark (?) == | ||
This stands for a ''single character''. Something like <tt>A?B</tt> matches any filename that is three characters long and starts with an A and ends with a B. The length is fixed to three characters because ? can be replaced by | This stands for a ''single character''. Something like <tt>A?B</tt> matches any filename that is three characters long and starts with an A and ends with a B. The length is fixed to three characters because ? can be replaced by | ||
only one character. Thus the ? does not match the null string as the * does. | only one character. Thus the ? does not match the null string as the * does. | ||
==Inverting the logic (\) == | |||
So you want to hide filetypes, instead of showing specific filetypes? | |||
Insert a backslash <tt>\</tt> before <tt>*.ext</tt> to achieve opposite logic with the filter, and hide the filetypes you do not want visible to users. E.g <tt>\*.db;*.ini</tt> | |||
Latest revision as of 11:48, 8 February 2008
What is it?
A file mask denotes a set of files. It is usually something like this: *.jpg;*.gif. This example denotes any jpeg and gif files. Remember that the characters used in filenames are not case sensitive: so *.jpg and *.JPG refer to exactly the same set of files.
How does it work?
The example above shows a double file mask. It has two atoms separated by the semicolon: *.jpg and *.gif. The semicolon is used to merge multiple masks: it is a special character. There are only three special characters in file masks: ; * and ?.
The star (*)
The star (also called "asterisk") stands for any string of characters. If the mask contains only the star, it matches ANY file.
If you put an A before the star A*, it matches any file starting with an A.
If you put an A after the star *A, it matches any file ending with an A.
A*B matches any file starting with an A and ending with a B. The example above shows *.jpg : it matches any file ending with .jpg (that is, jpeg images). jpeg files are relatively unusual because they sometimes end with .jpeg and more rarely with .jpe . (The part of a filename that comes after the period is called the file "extension", and is normally limited to three characters.) You could use the mask .jp* to match all types of jpeg files.
The star also matches the null string: A*.jpg matches files like A1.jpg , Adfgg.jpg but also A.jpg.
The question mark (?)
This stands for a single character. Something like A?B matches any filename that is three characters long and starts with an A and ends with a B. The length is fixed to three characters because ? can be replaced by only one character. Thus the ? does not match the null string as the * does.
Inverting the logic (\)
So you want to hide filetypes, instead of showing specific filetypes?
Insert a backslash \ before *.ext to achieve opposite logic with the filter, and hide the filetypes you do not want visible to users. E.g \*.db;*.ini