Java string matching with wildcards

user_1180711 0
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I have a pattern string with a wild card say X (E.g.: abc*).

Also I have a set of strings which I have to match against the given pattern.

E.g.:

abf - false

abc_fgh - true

abcgafa - true

fgabcafa - false

I tried using regex for the same, it didn't work.

Here is my code

String pattern = "abc*";
String str = "abcdef";

Pattern regex = Pattern.compile(pattern);

return regex.matcher(str).matches();

This returns false

Is there any other way to make this work?

Thanks

wildcard pattern-matching regex java
5 Answers
  // The main function that checks if two given strings match. The pattern string  may contain
  // wildcard characters
  default boolean matchPattern(String pattern, String str) {

    // If we reach at the end of both strings, we are done
    if (pattern.length() == 0 && str.length() == 0) return true;

    // Make sure that the characters after '*' are present in str string. This function assumes that
    // the pattern string will not contain two consecutive '*'
    if (pattern.length() > 1 && pattern.charAt(0) == '*' && str.length() == 0) return false;

    // If the pattern string contains '?', or current characters of both strings match
    if ((pattern.length() > 1 && pattern.charAt(0) == '?')
        || (pattern.length() != 0 && str.length() != 0 && pattern.charAt(0) == str.charAt(0)))
      return matchPattern(pattern.substring(1), str.substring(1));

    // If there is *, then there are two possibilities
    // a: We consider current character of str string
    // b: We ignore current character of str string.
    if (pattern.length() > 0 && pattern.charAt(0) == '*')
      return matchPattern(pattern.substring(1), str) || matchPattern(pattern, str.substring(1));
    return false;
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    test("w*ks", "weeks"); // Yes
    test("we?k*", "weekend"); // Yes
    test("g*k", "gee"); // No because 'k' is not in second
    test("*pqrs", "pqrst"); // No because 't' is not in first
    test("abc*bcd", "abcdhghgbcd"); // Yes
    test("abc*c?d", "abcd"); // No because second must have 2 instances of 'c'
    test("*c*d", "abcd"); // Yes
    test("*?c*d", "abcd"); // Yes
  }
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