# External file links with regular expression search

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/external-file-links-with-regular-expression-search/458>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [February 9, 2017, 8:24am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/external-file-links-with-regular-expression-search/458 "2017-02-09T08:24:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Knaye189](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Knaye189](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Knaye189)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 8:24am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/external-file-links-with-regular-expression-search/458/1 "2017-02-09T08:24:31Z")

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The pattern I use to name my pdf files is "`[Year]_[Firstauthorlastname]_[something].pdf`"  
To link a pdf file to a bib entry, I use the “Get fulltext” button with the regular expression search “`**/.*([year]\\_[auth]).*\\.[extension]`”. The results I get is the list of all files published the same year as my bib entry, meaning that the [auth] field is probably not properly recognized. Is it normal ? Would someone have a solution ? (my bibtex key pattern is “`[auth3:lower][shortyear]`”)

Thanks