Convert a glob pattern to a regular expression

Summary

The glob macro converts a glob pattern (shell-style wildcard pattern) into a Java regular expression. This is useful when you need regex patterns but want to write simpler glob syntax.

Syntax

${glob;<glob-pattern>}

Parameters

• glob-pattern - A glob pattern using wildcard syntax (e.g., *.jar, com/example/**/*.class)

Behavior

• Converts glob wildcards to regex equivalents:
  • * → matches any characters except path separator
  • ** → matches any characters including path separators
  • ? → matches any single character
  • [abc] → matches any character in the set
  • {a,b,c} → matches any of the alternatives
• Supports negation with ! prefix
• Returns a valid Java regular expression string

Examples

Convert simple wildcard:

${glob;*.jar}
# Returns regex matching JAR files

Match with path:

${glob;com/example/**/*.class}
# Returns regex for any .class file under com/example/

Use in filter:

${filter;${packages};${glob;com.example.*}}
# Filter packages matching glob pattern

Negated pattern:

${glob;!*.test.jar}
# Returns negative lookahead regex excluding test JARs

Multiple alternatives:

${glob;*.{jar,war,ear}}
# Matches files with .jar, .war, or .ear extensions

Use Cases

• Converting user-friendly glob patterns to regex
• Pattern matching in file filtering
• Configuration patterns that are easier to write as globs
• Combining glob syntax with regex-based macros
• Path matching in resource selection
• Building dynamic filter patterns

Notes

• Glob syntax is simpler and more intuitive than regex for basic patterns
• The ! prefix creates a negative lookahead pattern
• * does not cross directory boundaries (use ** for that)
• The returned value is a regex pattern string, not a compiled Pattern object
• Glob patterns are case-sensitive by default
• See also: Instructions and filters in bnd often accept glob patterns directly

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See test cases in MacroTestsForDocsExamples.java