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Wildcard vs Characters - What's the difference?

wildcard | characters |

As nouns the difference between wildcard and characters

is that wildcard is (computing) a character that takes the place of any other character or string that is not known or specified while characters is .

wildcard

English

Noun

(Wildcard character) (en noun)
  • (computing) A character that takes the place of any other character or string that is not known or specified.
    • In searching, if ''a*m'' finds ''amalgam'', ''atom'' and ''alum'', then * is acting as a wildcard .
  • (also written wild card) An uncontrolled or unpredictable element.
  • * 2008 February 8, Eli Kintisch, "From Gasoline Alleys to Electric Avenues" [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/319/5864/750a], Science 319(5864), page 751,
    • There are several technical wildcards , such as how the larger battery packs--four times larger than those of the Prius--will withstand the rigors of city driving,
  • (also written wild card) An element, often deliberately concealed, which is withheld for contingency.
  • (sports, card games)
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=June 28 , author=Piers Newbery , title=Wimbledon 2011: Sabine Lisicki beats Marion Bartoli , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=German wildcard Sabine Lisicki conquered her nerves to defeat France's Marion Bartoli and take her amazing Wimbledon run into the semi-finals.}}

    Usage notes

    A wild card in card games is usually written as two separate words. The computing term is written as one compound word.

    characters

    English

    Noun

    (head)