====== LIST Matching (Using External Pattern Files) ======

TapeTrack supports matching against a list of patterns stored in an external file using the special filter prefix:

''*LIST:filename''

  * ''filename'' the name of the file containing the search terms.

This allows a filter field to be compared against multiple patterns, where each pattern is stored as a separate line in the file.

This is useful when you have a large set of patterns to maintain, want reusable filters shared between operators or scripts or you want to avoid typing long OR-style filters manually.

===== How LIST Matching Works =====

When a filter begins with:

<code> *LIST: </code>

TapeTrack will:
  * open the specified file
  * read the file line-by-line
  * treat each line as an individual filter pattern
  * stop as soon as a match is found

Each line in the list file is processed as a normal TapeTrack pattern match (wildcards are supported).

===== Example =====

Example set of Description values for Volumes in TapeMaster:

Production database weekly backup \\
Prod DB full backup \\
Prod data backup set \\
Production export dump \\
Development database backup \\
Weekly archive - finance system \\

==== Example LIST File ====

Create a plain text file called ''prod_filters.txt''

With the following contents (one pattern per line):

<code>*prod* 
*PRD* 
*production* 
</code>


{{prod_filters.png}}
==== Using the LIST Filter in TapeMaster ====

To filter the Description field using the list file:

<code> *LIST:prod_filters.txt </code>

This will match any Description containing:

prod \\
PRD \\
production \\

===== Expected Matching Results =====

Using the filter:

<code> *LIST:prod_filters.txt </code>

The following descriptions would typically match:

Production database weekly backup \\
Prod DB full backup \\
Production export dump \\
PRD database BKP \\
Prod data backup set \\

The following descriptions would typically not match:

Development database backup \\
Weekly archive - finance system \\

===== Using Wildcards in LIST Files =====

Each line in the list file supports standard TapeTrack wildcard matching.

Example list file contents:

<code>*backup* 
*archive* 
*dump* </code>

This allows a single LIST filter to match multiple categories of text.

<note>

LIST files are read sequentially until a match is found. \\
Blank lines should be avoided. \\
Each line should contain a valid TapeTrack filter pattern. \\
LIST filters can be used in TapeMaster filters and TapeTrack CLI filters (where supported). \\
</note>
===== Example: Combining LIST with Standard Filters =====

If a tool supports multiple filter fields, LIST filters can be used to simplify selection logic.

For example, a LIST file could contain all patterns related to production backups:

<code>*prod* 
*production* 
*weekly backup* 
*full backup* </code>

Then the TapeMaster Description filter can be applied as:

<code> *LIST:prod_filters.txt </code>

This provides a centralized way to manage filtering rules.


LIST filtering provides a simple way to match a field against multiple patterns stored in an external file.  It is ideal for environments where filtering rules must be maintained and reused across operators, jobs, or automation scripts.

=====See Also=====

[[general:pattern_matching|pattern matching]] \\
[[technote:FUZZY|FUZZY Matching]] \\


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