Added the possibility to select variables with wildcard parameters (*).

src/@dseries/extract.m

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ function p = extract(o, varargin) % --*-- Unitary tests --*--
 
 useimplicitloops = false;
 useregularexpression = false;
+usewildcardparameter = false;
 
 p = dseries();
 
@@ -36,18 +37,33 @@ for i=1:nargin-1
     if ~isempty(idArobase)
         useimplicitloops = true;
     end
-    % Regular expression
+    % Regular expression.
     idBracket.open = strfind(VariableName,'[');
     idBracket.close = strfind(VariableName,']');
-    if isequal(idBracket.open(1), 1) && isequal(idBracket.close(end), length(VariableName))
-        useregularexpression = true;
+    if ~isempty(idBracket.open) && ~isempty(idBracket.close)
+        if isequal(idBracket.open(1), 1) && isequal(idBracket.close(end), length(VariableName))
+            useregularexpression = true;
+        end
     end
-    % Check that square brackets are not used, unless extract method is called with a regular expression.
+    % Wildcard parameter.
     if ~useregularexpression
+        idStar = strfind(VariableName,'*');
+        if ~isempty(idStar)
+            usewildcardparameter = true;
+            useregularexpression = true;
+            VariableName = sprintf('[%s]', VariableName);
+            VariableName = strrep(VariableName, '*', '\w*');
+        end
+    end
+    % Check that square brackets are not used, unless extract method is called with a regular expression.
+    if ~useregularexpression && ~(isempty(idBracket.open) && isempty(idBracket.close))
+        error('dseries::extract: Square brackets are not allowed, unless regexp are used to select variables!')
+    end
+    if useregularexpression && usewildcardparameter && ~(isempty(idBracket.open) && isempty(idBracket.close))
         error('dseries::extract: Square brackets are not allowed, unless regexp are used to select variables!')
     end
     % Check that square brackets in regular expressions
-    if useregularexpression && ~isequal(length(idBracket.open),length(idBracket.open))
+    if useregularexpression && ~usewildcardparameter && ~isequal(length(idBracket.open),length(idBracket.open))
         error('dseries::extract: (Matlab/Octave''s regular expressions) Check opening and closing square brackets!')
     end
     % Loops and regular expressions are not compatible
@@ -58,7 +74,7 @@ for i=1:nargin-1
     if useimplicitloops
         VariableName_ = build_list_of_variables_with_loops(o.name, idArobase, VariableName, VariableName_);
     elseif useregularexpression
-        VariableName_ = build_list_of_variables_with_regexp(o.name, VariableName(2:end-1));
+        VariableName_ = build_list_of_variables_with_regexp(o.name, VariableName(2:end-1), usewildcardparameter);
     else
         VariableName_ = varargin(:);
     end

src/utilities/variables/build_list_of_variables_with_regexp.m

-function list_of_variables = build_list_of_variables_with_regexp(o_list_of_variables, VariableName)
+function list_of_variables = build_list_of_variables_with_regexp(o_list_of_variables, VariableName, wildcardparameterflag)
 
 % Copyright (C) 2016-2017 Dynare Team
 %
@@ -29,5 +29,10 @@ end
 list_of_variables = intersect(o_list_of_variables, matched_strings_);
 
 if isempty(list_of_variables)
-    disp(['dseries::extact: The regular expression ''[' VariableName ']'' did not match any variable name!'])
+    if wildcardparameterflag
+        VariableName = strrep(VariableName, '\w*', '*');
+        disp(['dseries::extact: The wildcard expression ''' VariableName ''' did not match any variable name!'])
+    else
+        disp(['dseries::extact: The regular expression ''[' VariableName ']'' did not match any variable name!'])
+    end
 end
\ No newline at end of file