# $EPIC: beforew.txt,v 1.4 2007/03/02 02:32:04 jnelson Exp $
======Synopsis:======
$__beforew__(<word> <pattern list>)

======Technical:======
   * If the <word> argument is omitted this function returns the empty string.
   * The <pattern list> does not actually need to be a list of wildcard patterns.  A list of literal words will work just fine.
   * If <word> is not matched by any of the words in <pattern list>, this function returns the empty string.
   * Otherwise, the function behaves "as if" the following had been performed: <val> = rmatch(<word> <word/pattern list>) <function_return> = leftw(<val> <word/pattern list>)
   * Remember that <pattern list> is a list of [[what is a word|words]].

======Practical:======
This function lets you get the part of <pattern list> that occurs BEFORE
the pattern that is the "best match" for <word>.  You can of course use
this function with a list of literal words.

======Returns:======
The portion of <pattern list> before the pattern that is the "best match"
of <word>.  A word is always "best matched" by itself; see the help file
on pattern matching for more detail.

======Examples:======
<file>
$beforew(foobar one two foobar my shoe)    returns "one two"
$beforew(booya one two foobar my shoe)     returns ""  (empty string)
$beforew(foobar o* t* f* m* s*)            returns "o* t*"
$beforew(booya o* t* f* m* s*)             returns ""  (empty string)
$beforew(foobar f* fo* foobar foo* foob*)  returns "f* fo*"
</file>

======History:======
This function first appeared in "plus 2" (post-ircII, pre-EPIC)