Update: FWIW, this "undocumented feature" is deep within the OS, using '<' in the argument to FindFirstFile/FindNextFile apis also treats it the same way as '*'. It appears that this is the only undocumented character that exhibits this behaviour. Weirdness indeed.

What can I say? Sorry, but I completely misread the sense of your constanation. Your right! It appears that CMD is treating '<' in the same way as '*' 

P:\test>dir "<.bak"
 Volume in drive P is Winnt
 Volume Serial Number is D822-5AE5

 Directory of P:\test

27/08/03  00:47                    608 286744.pl8.bak
28/08/03  20:20                    801 287272.pl8.bak
31/08/03  12:42                    729 287900-2.pl8.bak
31/08/03  09:58                  1,056 287900.pl8.bak
05/09/03  15:37                  2,015 289016-2.pl8.bak
05/09/03  09:56                  1,092 289106.pl8.bak
05/09/03  17:26                  1,165 289250.pl8.bak
08/09/03  10:49                    742 b-sort.pl8.bak
...

[download]

I'm really surprised that I have never encountered this behaviour before...but then, I would never have thought to look for it:)

It is weird, as far as I am aware, completely undocumented, and very annoying. I cannot even begin to fathom how and why this would have been done!

Examine what is said, not who speaks.
"Efficiency is intelligent laziness." -David Dunham
"When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong." -Richard Buckminster Fuller
If I understand your problem, I can solve it! Of course, the same can be said for you.

In reply to Re: Re: Re: Unexpected file test (-f) result on Windows by BrowserUk
in thread Unexpected file test (-f) result on Windows by DaveH

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