sub expand_path ($$$\$) {
    # inputs: (product,version,is_32bit(T/F), ptr(expanded_path))
    # output: (-,-,-, expanded_path)
    # returns T/F (successful path expansion)
    my ($p, $v, $is32bitbit, $expp) = @_;
    my $is32_text = $is32bitbit ? "32bit-" : "";
    my $rpm = ($v !~ /\.rpm$/) ? "$p-$is32_text$v-*.rpm"
                               : "$p-$is32_text$v*";
    my $exp;
    if (defined ($exp = `2>&1 bash -c "echo $rpm"`)) {
        chomp $exp;
        if ($exp !~ /\*/) {
            $$expp=$exp;
            return 1;
        }
    }
    $$expp = $rpm;
    return 0;
}

##</code><code>##

If the *extglob* shell option is enabled using the *shopt* builtin, several
extended  pattern  matching operators are recognized.  In the following
description, a pattern-list is a list of one or more patterns separated
by a |.  Composite patterns may be formed using one or more of the fol-
lowing sub-patterns:

       ?(pattern-list)
              Matches zero or one occurrence of the given patterns
       *(pattern-list)
              Matches zero or more occurrences of the given patterns
       +(pattern-list)
              Matches one or more occurrences of the given patterns
       @(pattern-list)
              Matches one of the given patterns
       !(pattern-list)
              Matches anything except one of the given patterns

##</code><code>##

echo gcc-+([^-])-+([^-]).rpm

##</code><code>##

gcc-32bit-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-ada-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-c++-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-fortran-32bit-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-fortran-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-gij-32bit-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-gij-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-info-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-java-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-locale-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-obj-c++-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-objc-32bit-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-objc-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-32bit-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-ada-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-c++-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-fortran-32bit-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-fortran-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-gij-32bit-4.1.3_20070724-25.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-gij-4.1.3_20070724-25.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-java-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-locale-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-obj-c++-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-objc-32bit-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-objc-4.1.3_20070724-15.x86_64.rpm
gcc41-testresults-4.1.3_20070724-25.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-32bit-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-ada-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-c++-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-fortran-32bit-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-fortran-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-gij-32bit-4.2.1_20070724-26.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-gij-4.2.1_20070724-26.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-info-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-java-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-locale-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-obj-c++-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-objc-32bit-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-objc-4.2.1_20070724-17.x86_64.rpm
gcc42-testresults-4.2.1_20070724-26.x86_64.rpm

##</code><code>##

gcc-32bit-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-ada-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-c++-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-fortran-32bit-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-fortran-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-gij-32bit-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-gij-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-info-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-java-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-locale-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-obj-c++-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-objc-32bit-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm
gcc-objc-4.2-24.x86_64.rpm

##</code><code>##

#!/usr/bin/perl
$pat='+([^-])-+([^-]).rpm';
$a=`bash -c "shopt -s extglob ;echo gcc-$pat"`;
print "a=$a\n";

##</code><code>##

bash: -c: line 0: syntax error near unexpected token `('
bash: -c: line 0: `shopt -s extglob ;echo gcc-+([^-])-+([^-]).rpm'
a=

##</code><code>##

(double backslash in front of parens:)

#!/usr/bin/perl
$pat='+\\([^-]\\)-+\\([^-]\\).rpm';
$a=`bash -c 'shopt -s extglob ;echo gcc-$pat'`;
print "a=$a\n";

##</code><code>##

a=gcc-+([^-])-+([^-]).rpm