Filtering Using Wildcards

Wildcards can be used in comparisons that use the "Matches pattern" comparison operator. The two wildcard characters are * and ?

Asterisk (*)

The asterisk * is a placeholder for "zero or more characters of any type".

Example subject-line search string: banana*float

With Matches: Subject lines such as " bananafloat", "bananas", "banana-leaf casserole float" but not "super-banana-float"

Example subject-line search string: w*bandanna

With Matches: Subject lines such as "white bandanna" or "whose bandanna" but not "whose bandanna is this?"

Question mark (?)

The question mark is a placeholder for "exactly one character".

Example subject-line search string: banana?boat

With Matches: Subject lines such as " bananasboat", "banana-boat", "banana!boat", or "banana boat"

Escape character is Slash: \

There may be times that you will want to specify an exact match on a string that contains characters that normally are considered wildcards. For example, you might want to specify a match on a subject line where the main heading is surrounded on both sides by three asterisks, such as

***MORE MONEY!!!*** or

***FREE GIFT***

To specify a wildcard as itself rather than a substitution for other characters, use the backslash \ immediately before the character. For example the comparison string "\*\*\**\*\*\*" specifies a subject with three asterisks before and after any string in the middle (including spaces).

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