What is the function of wildcards in text searching?

Wildcards in text searching serve a significant function that allows users to perform fuzzy matches on text. This capability means that instead of requiring an exact match of the search term, wildcards enable matches that accommodate variations or incomplete information. For example, if a user wants to find various spellings or forms of a word, they can use wildcards to represent different characters or sequences that may appear in the text.

In practical usage, wildcards such as asterisks (*) and question marks (?) can stand in for any character or group of characters. This flexibility facilitates broader search results, enabling users to find information that may not have an exact correspondence but is still relevant. It is particularly useful when dealing with databases or large sets of text where the exact phrasing might not be known or when common variations exist.

This capability directly aligns wildcards with the concept of fuzzy matching, as it enhances the user's ability to discover relevant content without being constrained by the need for precise matches.