Why fuzzy-match * doesn't work?

[coolbq]

os: Windows 10
command: mlr --csv --mfrom *.csv -- cat
error: mlr: open *.csv: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect..

why "*.csv" doesn't match multiple csv files on Windows 10 ?

[johnkerl]

Hi @coolbq ! Can you show the output of dir *.csv in a command window?

[aborruso]

I have the same in windows 11. If I run

mlr.exe --csv --mfrom *.csv -- cat

I have mlr: open *.csv: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect...

[johnkerl]

OK I will look -- thank you! -- my Windows machine is not with me at present but I'll check in a few days.

[coolbq]

Hi @coolbq ! Can you show the output of dir *.csv in a command window?

[johnkerl]

@coolbq and @aborruso my apologies, I know what this is, and I have known for many, many years -- even before Miller.

The issue -- a standard issue -- is that Unix and Unix-like shells (including Linux and Mac) expand wildcards like *.csv before handing off to a program, whereas in Windows, programs have to expand themselves.

I've known this for a very long time -- 20 years easily -- and also, the Windows version of Miller goes back many years as well (although of course not 20). I'm embarrassed to say I didn't think of this earlier -- it should have been a fundamental part of any Windows port for the very start, and not only did I not implement wildcard-expansion for Miller on Windows, I didn't write any test cases, etc.

C:\miller\docs\src> mlr --csv cat circle.csv
color,shape,flag,k,index,quantity,rate
red,circle,true,3,16,13.8103,2.9010
yellow,circle,true,8,73,63.9785,4.2370
yellow,circle,true,9,87,63.5058,8.3350

C:\miller\docs\src> mlr --csv cat circle.csv commas.csv
color,shape,flag,k,index,quantity,rate
red,circle,true,3,16,13.8103,2.9010
yellow,circle,true,8,73,63.9785,4.2370
yellow,circle,true,9,87,63.5058,8.3350

Name,Role
"Xiao, Lin",administrator
"Khavari, Darius",tester

C:\miller\docs\src> mlr --csv cat *.csv
mlr: open *.csv: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect..

[johnkerl]

@coolbq @aborruso fix on #1362

[aborruso]

@coolbq @aborruso fix on #1362

It works, thank you very much

[coolbq]

@coolbq @aborruso fix on #1362

Yes, it works now. Thanks alot !

[coolbq]

hhm, it seems there is still a further problem for this fuzzy match combination operation. The combination process just stucks there and never end. If stop the command line windows forcefully, you will get a huge result file.

miller version: 6.9.0
running command:
mlr --csv --mfrom *.txt -- cat > Comb1.txt