Supported Wildcards for IBM i File System

You can use a wildcard to represent one or more characters when you define the content for backups and filters for a subclient.

Note

If the subclient content consists of wildcard characters and no eligible files are found for the backup, the backup operation can still successfully complete.

Wildcards	Description	Examples
*	Any number of characters. Use this wildcard in the following scenarios Back up all files of a specific extension Back up all files under a specific directory Back up all files with a specific file extension that start with the pattern	`.doc` backs up or filters all files that have a .doc file extension (for example, status.doc, mission.doc) on all partitions and paths on the client computer. `/Test/.doc` backs up all that have a .doc file extension in the /Test directory. `a.so` backs up all files that have the .so file extension, and start with the letter "a" (for example, alsvc.so, advdcc.so). /`Finance/Test` backs up all the files and directories that start with the string "Test" under the /Finance directory.
?	A single character. Use this wildcard in the following scenario: All files (or directories) that match the character pattern before and after the ? Tip To match multiple characters, use a ? for each character that you want to match. Applies only to the subclient content for IFS type. Does not apply to Optimized scan. Does not apply to filters and exceptions.	`/access?` backs up or filters any directory or file that starts with the string "access", followed by one character (for example, access1 or access5). `/Class/report?` backs up any directory or file under the /Class directory that starts with the string "report" and contains one character after the string (for example, "report1").
[]	A range of characters. Applies only to the subclient content for IFS type. Does not apply to Optimized scan. Does not apply to filters and exceptions.	`/[a-m]` backs up or filters all files that start with the letters a-m on the / (root) partition. `/[AEIOU].doc` backs up files that have a .doc file extension and that start with the letters "A", "E", "I", "O", or "U". `/Finance/report[1-47-9]` backs up the following files in the /Finance directory: report1 report2 report4 report7 report8 report9 `/Department-[A-CS]` backs up the following files: Department-A Department-B Department-C Department-S
[!]	The negation of a set or range of characters. Use the wildcard in the following scenario: Back up all files in a directory that do not match the characters specified in the wildcard Applies only to the subclient content for IFS type. Does not apply to Optimized scan. Does not apply to filters and exceptions.	`/root/[!AEIOU]*.doc` backs up or filters files that have a .doc file extension in the /root directory and that start with a letter other than the letters "A", "E", "I", "O", or "U".
**	Any number of characters across any number of path levels. Applies only to the subclient content for IFS type. Does not apply to Optimized scan. Does not apply to filters and exceptions.	`//move.cpp` - backs up or filters the file named move.cpp that is in any directory. (for example, /root/newapp/move.cpp and /opt/kde3/src/move.cpp) /etc/ - backs up all directories and files under the /etc directory. All sub-directories are included in the backup.
***	Applies only to filters and exceptions. Use this wildcard in the following scenarios: To filter the directory/library and the objects that are under it. To add an exception to the filter. Does not apply to Optimized scan.	The filter `/test/mydir/*` filters the mydir directory and its contents. The filter `/test/` and the exception `/test/mydir/` backs up the mydir** directory and all the contents of that directory.

Wildcards

Description

Examples

Any number of characters.

Use this wildcard in the following scenarios

Back up all files of a specific extension
Back up all files under a specific directory
Back up all files with a specific file extension that start with the pattern

*.doc backs up or filters all files that have a .doc file extension (for example, status.doc, mission.doc) on all partitions and paths on the client computer.

/Test/*.doc backs up all that have a .doc file extension in the /Test directory.

a*.so backs up all files that have the .so file extension, and start with the letter "a" (for example, alsvc.so, advdcc.so).

/Finance/Test* backs up all the files and directories that start with the string "Test" under the /Finance directory.

A single character.

Use this wildcard in the following scenario:

All files (or directories) that match the character pattern before and after the ?

Tip

To match multiple characters, use a ? for each character that you want to match.

Applies only to the subclient content for IFS type.
Does not apply to Optimized scan.
Does not apply to filters and exceptions.

/access? backs up or filters any directory or file that starts with the string "access", followed by one character (for example, access1 or access5).

/Class/report? backs up any directory or file under the /Class directory that starts with the string "report" and contains one character after the string (for example, "report1").

[]

A range of characters.

Applies only to the subclient content for IFS type.
Does not apply to Optimized scan.
Does not apply to filters and exceptions.

/[a-m]* backs up or filters all files that start with the letters a-m on the / (root) partition.

/[AEIOU]*.doc backs up files that have a .doc file extension and that start with the letters "A", "E", "I", "O", or "U".

/Finance/report[1-47-9] backs up the following files in the /Finance directory:

report1
report2
report4
report7
report8
report9

/Department-[A-CS] backs up the following files:
Department-A
Department-B
Department-C
Department-S

[!]

The negation of a set or range of characters.

Use the wildcard in the following scenario:

Back up all files in a directory that do not match the characters specified in the wildcard
- Applies only to the subclient content for IFS type.
- Does not apply to Optimized scan.
- Does not apply to filters and exceptions.

/root/[!AEIOU]*.doc backs up or filters files that have a .doc file extension in the /root directory and that start with a letter other than the letters "A", "E", "I", "O", or "U".

Any number of characters across any number of path levels.

Applies only to the subclient content for IFS type.
Does not apply to Optimized scan.
Does not apply to filters and exceptions.

/**/move.cpp - backs up or filters the file named move.cpp that is in any directory. (for example, /root/newapp/move.cpp and /opt/kde3/src/move.cpp)

/etc/** - backs up all directories and files under the /etc directory. All sub-directories are included in the backup.

***

Applies only to filters and exceptions.

Use this wildcard in the following scenarios:

To filter the directory/library and the objects that are under it.
To add an exception to the filter.
Does not apply to Optimized scan.

The filter /test/mydir/*** filters the mydir directory and its contents.

The filter /test/*** and the exception /test/mydir/*** backs up the mydir directory and all the contents of that directory.