minimatch/README.md

# minimatch

A minimal matching utility.

[![Build Status](https://secure.travis-ci.org/isaacs/minimatch.png)](http://travis-ci.org/isaacs/minimatch)


This is the matching library used internally by npm.

Eventually, it will replace the C binding in node-glob.

It works by converting glob expressions into JavaScript `RegExp`
objects.

## Usage

```javascript
var minimatch = require("minimatch")

minimatch("bar.foo", "*.foo") // true!
minimatch("bar.foo", "*.bar") // false!
minimatch("bar.foo", "*.+(bar|foo)", { debug: true }) // true, and noisy!
```

## Features

Supports these glob features:

* Brace Expansion
* Extended glob matching
* "Globstar" `**` matching

See:

* `man sh`
* `man bash`
* `man 3 fnmatch`
* `man 5 gitignore`

## Minimatch Class

Create a minimatch object by instanting the `minimatch.Minimatch` class.

```javascript
var Minimatch = require("minimatch").Minimatch
var mm = new Minimatch(pattern, options)
```

### Properties

* `pattern` The original pattern the minimatch object represents.
* `options` The options supplied to the constructor.
* `set` A 2-dimensional array of regexp or string expressions.
  Each row in the
  array corresponds to a brace-expanded pattern.  Each item in the row
  corresponds to a single path-part.  For example, the pattern
  `{a,b/c}/d` would expand to a set of patterns like:

        [ [ a, d ]
        , [ b, c, d ] ]

    If a portion of the pattern doesn't have any "magic" in it
    (that is, it's something like `"foo"` rather than `fo*o?`), then it
    will be left as a string rather than converted to a regular
    expression.

* `regexp` Created by the `makeRe` method.  A single regular expression
  expressing the entire pattern.  This is useful in cases where you wish
  to use the pattern somewhat like `fnmatch(3)` with `FNM_PATH` enabled.
* `negate` True if the pattern is negated.
* `comment` True if the pattern is a comment.
* `empty` True if the pattern is `""`.

### Methods

* `makeRe` Generate the `regexp` member if necessary, and return it.
  Will return `false` if the pattern is invalid.
* `match(fname)` Return true if the filename matches the pattern, or
  false otherwise.
* `matchOne(fileArray, patternArray, partial)` Take a `/`-split
  filename, and match it against a single row in the `regExpSet`.  This
  method is mainly for internal use, but is exposed so that it can be
  used by a glob-walker that needs to avoid excessive filesystem calls.

All other methods are internal, and will be called as necessary.

## Functions

The top-level exported function has a `cache` property, which is an LRU
cache set to store 100 items.  So, calling these methods repeatedly
with the same pattern and options will use the same Minimatch object,
saving the cost of parsing it multiple times.

### minimatch(path, pattern, options)

Main export.  Tests a path against the pattern using the options.

```javascript
var isJS = minimatch(file, "*.js", { matchBase: true })
```

### minimatch.filter(pattern, options)

Returns a function that tests its
supplied argument, suitable for use with `Array.filter`.  Example:

```javascript
var javascripts = fileList.filter(minimatch.filter("*.js", {matchBase: true}))
```

### minimatch.match(list, pattern, options)

Match against the list of
files, in the style of fnmatch or glob.  If nothing is matched, and
options.nonull is set, then return a list containing the pattern itself.

```javascript
var javascripts = minimatch.match(fileList, "*.js", {matchBase: true}))
```

### minimatch.makeRe(pattern, options)

Make a regular expression object from the pattern.

## Options

All options are `false` by default.

### debug

Dump a ton of stuff to stderr.

### nobrace

Do not expand `{a,b}` and `{1..3}` brace sets.

### noglobstar

Disable `**` matching against multiple folder names.

### dot

Allow patterns to match filenames starting with a period, even if
the pattern does not explicitly have a period in that spot.

Note that by default, `a/**/b` will **not** match `a/.d/b`, unless `dot`
is set.

### noext

Disable "extglob" style patterns like `+(a|b)`.

### nocase

Perform a case-insensitive match.

### nonull

When a match is not found by `minimatch.match`, return a list containing
the pattern itself.  When set, an empty list is returned if there are
no matches.

### matchBase

If set, then patterns without slashes will be matched
against the basename of the path if it contains slashes.  For example,
`a?b` would match the path `/xyz/123/acb`, but not `/xyz/acb/123`.

### nocomment

Suppress the behavior of treating `#` at the start of a pattern as a
comment.

### nonegate

Suppress the behavior of treating a leading `!` character as negation.

### flipNegate

Returns from negate expressions the same as if they were not negated.
(Ie, true on a hit, false on a miss.)


## Comparisons to other fnmatch/glob implementations

While strict compliance with the existing standards is a worthwhile
goal, some discrepancies exist between minimatch and other
implementations, and are intentional.

If the pattern starts with a `!` character, then it is negated.  Set the
`nonegate` flag to suppress this behavior, and treat leading `!`
characters normally.  This is perhaps relevant if you wish to start the
pattern with a negative extglob pattern like `!(a|B)`.  Multiple `!`
characters at the start of a pattern will negate the pattern multiple
times.

If a pattern starts with `#`, then it is treated as a comment, and
will not match anything.  Use `\#` to match a literal `#` at the
start of a line, or set the `nocomment` flag to suppress this behavior.

The double-star character `**` is supported by default, unless the
`noglobstar` flag is set.  This is supported in the manner of bsdglob
and bash 4.1, where `**` only has special significance if it is the only
thing in a path part.  That is, `a/**/b` will match `a/x/y/b`, but
`a/**b` will not.

If an escaped pattern has no matches, and the `nonull` flag is set,
then minimatch.match returns the pattern as-provided, rather than
interpreting the character escapes.  For example,
`minimatch.match([], "\\*a\\?")` will return `"\\*a\\?"` rather than
`"*a?"`.  This is akin to setting the `nullglob` option in bash, except
that it does not resolve escaped pattern characters.

If brace expansion is not disabled, then it is performed before any
other interpretation of the glob pattern.  Thus, a pattern like
`+(a|{b),c)}`, which would not be valid in bash or zsh, is expanded
**first** into the set of `+(a|b)` and `+(a|c)`, and those patterns are
checked for validity.  Since those two are valid, matching proceeds.