Wildcards
A wildcard is a field where you can enter a partial code and the selection process will grab any record that matches the partial code. The type of wildcard most often depends on the module. In the examples below, the term "character" includes letters, numbers and any other miscellaneous characters (such as the hyphen). All examples may be applied to letter-only, number-only or alphanumeric (letters and numbers) wildcard fields by substituting the appropriate characters for the example given.
In Reports
You may fill in the field with a dot (.) substituting for any non-specific character. You may enter an asterisk (*) wherever you want any number of non-specific characters. You may enter specific characters wherever you want to match those characters. You may leave the field <blank> after any common prefix.
Wildcard | Would Include |
---|---|
1...26 |
(Assuming a six-digit number-only field) Any six-digit number that began with a 1, was followed by any three (…) numbers and ended with 26. For Example:
|
B (or 'b') |
(Assuming an alphanumeric field up to ten characters in length) Any length name (up to ten characters) that began with a B. For Example:
|
B.... |
(Assuming an alphanumeric field up to ten characters in length) Any name that was five to ten characters long that began with a B (one "B" + four dots "...." = five characters minimum required). For Example:
Note: BLDG from the example above is not included as it has fewer than five (5) characters. |
11..*1 |
(Assuming an alphanumeric field up to ten characters in length) Any number that began with 11, was followed by any two characters (..), was followed by any number (*) of characters and ended with a 1 (plus any other characters up to the maximum length of ten). For Example:
|
In File Maintenance Programs (primarily in "Search" programs)
You enter the text that you want to match specific characters. You enter an asterisk (*) wherever you want any non-specific characters.
Wildcard | Would Include |
---|---|
BLDG | BLDG Maintenance, BLDG1, BLDG2, BLDG-01, etc… |
*BLDG | A-BLDG, B-BLDG, A-BLDG01, B-BLDG02, B-BLDG01, main BLDG for district 1, etc… |
BLDG* | BLDG-A, BLDG01, BLDG-B02, etc… |
*BLDG* | BLDG, A-BLDG02, Maintenance BLDG 02, etc… |