UIGETFILE to filter out files starting with a specific character

I want to filter out file starting with a specific character. This code works on Matlab 2024b and older versions:

uigetfile('_*.dat')

…but in MATLAB R2025a, it gives a warning:

Warning: Invalid file filter _*.dat

And the fillter does not work.

How to apply this filter in Matlab 2025?

[dpb]

uigetfile doc doesn't include the underscore as being unallowed and it certainly shouldn't be. Looks like somebody got overzealous in trying to ensure only valid filename characters were being used.

Submit this to Mathworks as an official support request/bug at <Product Support Page>

The only workaround I would see would be to substitute a call to dir with the filter and then present a dropdown list to the user...perhaps add a logic test for version to substitute if writing to support multiple versions until a patch or better workaround is supplied?

[dpb]

I did just reconfirm works as expected with earlier release on Win10, R2021b.

Submit this to Mathworks as an official support request/bug at <Product Support Page>

[QUANG DAO]

Thank you so much for your suggestion.

I already submitted this bug to Mathworks.

Answer 1

[Pramil]

Hi QUANG,

I faced a similar issue in MATLAB R2025a and it appears to be a bug. The workaround for this if you want to continue using R2025a seems to be just typing in the file name or selecting the same from the available options once the modal for file selection opens.

>> [file, path] = uigetfile('_*.txt')
Warning: Invalid file filter _*.txt 

file =

    '_random.txt'


path =

    'C:\Users\pkesarwa\Downloads\New folder\'

Hope this helps!

[QUANG DAO]

Thank you so much for your recommendation.

But my goal is to filter only files in the '_*.dat' format.

This makes it easier to select all files using Ctrl+A instead of clicking each one individually.

[dpb]

"my goal is to filter only files in the '_*.dat' format..."

I think the only programmatic workaround(*) until Mathworks issues an update or patch that addresses the specific issue (and I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting) is as suggested above to use a directory search output filtered by the wildcard pattern and then present those results to the user for selection.

(*) There is an alternate which would be to rename the files to replace the underscore with some other unique allowable character and then filter on that pattern. This is, of course, recognizably not an ideal solution to have to rename the files back to their original or just concede and use a different naming scheme; ergo, not a desireable option.

For Windows, the following would be allowable

Use any character in the current code page for a name, including Unicode characters and characters in the extended character set (128–255), except for the following:

• The following reserved characters:
• < (less than)
• > (greater than)
• : (colon)
• " (double quote)
• / (forward slash)
• \ (backslash)
• | (vertical bar or pipe)
• ? (question mark)
• * (asterisk)
• Integer value zero, sometimes referred to as the ASCII NUL character.
• Characters whose integer representations are in the range from 1 through 31, except for alternate data streams where these characters are allowed. For more information about file streams, see File Streams.