File Masks

A file mask is a pattern of characters and wildcards used to match folder and file names.

Example:  *.* would match any filename.  For historical reasons, it even matches files that don't have an extension.

Example: *.html would match any HTML filename.

Wildcards

Wildcards allow a file mask to match multiple folder or file names.

?   Matches any single character.

*   Matches zero or any other amount of characters.

[az]   Matches one of the characters within the set, a or z.

[a-z]   Matches any characters within a range, from a to z.

[!az]   Matches any characters not in the set, not a or z.

Example:  A? would match A followed by any single character.

Example:  A* would match A followed by any amount of characters.

Example:  [a-z0-9] would match any number or letter.

Example:  [!ac-g] would match any character except for a, c, d, e, f, and g.

Simple file masks

Simple file masks will affect any files or folders whose parent folder is included.  The base folder is always included.  All folders which contain included files are also included.

To exclude rather than include the specified items, add a minus sign (-) in front of a file mask in the Filters field.  In the File Filters dialog, place the file mask in the Exclude field rather than using the minus sign.

f   Include any file named f.

p\   Include any folder named p.

-f   Exclude any file named f.

-p\   Exclude any folder named p.

Example:  *.pas;*.dfm;*.dpr would include only files with extensions pas, dfm, or dpr.

Example:  Source\ would include only folders named Source and their subfolders.

Example:  -*.dcu;-*.ddp would exclude files with extensions dcu, or ddp.

Example:  -Backup\ would exclude folders named Backup.

Relative file masks

Relative file masks affect files or folders in specific locations.

p\f   f must be in folder p.

.\f   f must be in the base folder.

...\f   f may have zero or more parent folders.

Example:  Windows\*.txt would affect any text file in any included folder named Windows.

Example:  ...\Windows\*.txt would affect any text file in any folder named Windows.

Example:  .\Windows\*.txt would affect any text file in a folder named Windows that is in the base folder.