Bash string removal pattern matching samples

pattern-matching.sh

#!/bin/bash

# file path example
FILE=/home/user/src.dir/prog.c

echo ${FILE#/*/}  # ==> user/src.dir/prog.c -- remove everything BEFORE the SECOND '/'
echo ${FILE##*/}  # ==> prog.c -- remove part BEFORE LAST '/'
echo ${FILE%/*}   # ==> /home/user/src.dir -- remove everything AFTER the LAST '/'
echo ${FILE%%/*}  # ==> nil -- remove everything AFTER the FIRST '/' (returns empty string)
echo ${FILE%.c}   # ==> /home/user/src.dir/prog -- remove everything AFTER '.c'
# get file path or base name
echo ${FILE##*.}  # ==> c -- extension -- remove part BEFORE LAST '.'
echo ${FILE%.*}   # ==> /home/user/src.dir/prog -- base -- remove everything AFTER the LAST '.'

# string example
STR="one:two.3:four:five.6"

echo ${STR#*:}    # ==> two.3:four:five.6 -- remove everything BEFORE the FIRST ':'
echo ${STR#*:*:}  # ==> four:five.6 -- remove part BEFORE the SECOND ':'
echo ${STR##*:}   # ==> five.6 -- remove part BEFORE the LAST ':'
echo ${STR%:*}    # ==> one:two.3:four -- remove everything AFTER the LAST ':'
echo ${STR%.*}    # ==> one:two.3:four:five -- remove everything AFTER the LAST '.'
echo ${STR%%:*}   # ==> one -- remove everything AFTER the FIRST ':'
echo ${STR%.3*}   # ==> one:two -- remove everything AFTER and including '.3'

# All this from the excellent book: "A Practical Guide to Linux Commands, Editors, and 
# Shell Programming by Mark G. Sobell (http://www.sobell.com/)

# found here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1199613/extract-filename-and-path-from-url-in-bash-script