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The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (foldoc)

/glob/, *not* /glohb/ To expand {wild card} characters in a
{path name}.

In {Unix} the {file name} wild cards are:

* = zero or more characters (E.g. {UN*X})

? = any single character

[] any of the enclosed characters

{} indicate alternation of comma-separated alternatives, thus
foo{baz,qux} would expand to "foobaz" or "fooqux". This
syntax generates a list of all possible expansions, rather
than matching one.

These have become sufficiently pervasive that hackers use them
in written English, especially in {electronic mail} or
{Usenet} news on technical topics. E.g. "He said his name was
[KC]arl" (expresses ambiguity). "I don't read
talk.politics.*" (any of the talk.politics subgroups on
{Usenet}). Other examples are given under the entry for {X}.
Note that glob patterns are similar, but not identical, to
those used in {regexps}.

"glob" was a subprogram that expanded wild cards in archaic
pre-{Bourne} versions of the {Unix} {shell}.

(1997-07-16)