MQLArticles/Utils/StrMatch/README.md

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# Utils/StrMatch

A module with a single pattern matching function for strings. Allows comparing a string against a pattern with special characters.

## Usage

```cpp
CSimpleStringMatch::SimpleMatchInString("hello.png", "*.png"); // true
```

## Supported Patterns

| Character | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `*` | Any sequence of characters, searches up to the farthest occurrence after the `*` | `*.png` = any .png file |
| `?` | Exactly one character of any kind | `?.txt` = a.txt, b.txt |
| `^` | Exactly one digit (0-9) | `file^.csv` = file1.csv |
| `~` | Any sequence of characters, searches up to the nearest occurrence after the `~` | `~\\` = Only folder of 1 level |

Patterns can be combined freely.

## Examples

```cpp
SimpleMatchInString("hello_word.png", "*.png");     // true
SimpleMatchInString("hello_word.png", ".png*");     // false
SimpleMatchInString("aksdgello",  "????gello");     // true
SimpleMatchInString("123a", "*^^^a");               // false
SimpleMatchInString("file123.txt", "file^^^.txt");  // true
SimpleMatchInString("anything", "*");               // true
SimpleMatchInString("", "*");                       // true
SimpleMatchInString("abc", "??");                   // false
```

## Notes

- `~~` is not supported as a valid pattern. The character after `~` acts as a sequence terminator.
- The pattern `~` or `*` only equals "anything" when it stands alone.