VersionPress\Utils\ReferenceUtils::valueMatchesWildcard PHP Method

    public static function valueMatchesWildcard($valueWithWildcards, $value)
    {
        // https://regex101.com/r/tC8zD4/3
        $re = "/(?<escaped>(?:(?:\\\\\\\\)|(?:\\\\\\*))+)|(?<asterisk>\\*)|(?<string>[^\\\\\\*]+)/";
        $regex = preg_replace_callback($re, function ($match) {
            if ($match['escaped'] !== '') {
                return preg_quote(stripslashes($match['escaped']), '/');
            }
            if ($match['asterisk'] === '*') {
                return '.*';
            }
            return preg_quote($match['string'], '/');
        }, $valueWithWildcards);
        return preg_match("/^{$regex}\$/", $value);
    }

 /**
  * Returns true if there is any entity with reference to the passed one.
  *
  * @param $entityName
  * @param $entityId
  * @return bool
  */
 private function existsSomeEntityWithReferenceTo($entityName, $entityId)
 {
     $entityNames = $this->dbSchemaInfo->getAllEntityNames();
     foreach ($entityNames as $otherEntityName) {
         $otherEntityInfo = $this->dbSchemaInfo->getEntityInfo($otherEntityName);
         $otherEntityReferences = $otherEntityInfo->references;
         $otherEntityMnReferences = $otherEntityInfo->mnReferences;
         $otherEntityValueReferences = $otherEntityInfo->valueReferences;
         $allReferences = array_merge($otherEntityReferences, $otherEntityMnReferences, $otherEntityValueReferences);
         foreach ($allReferences as $reference => $referencedEntity) {
             // if the target is dynamic, check it anyway - just to be sure
             if ($referencedEntity !== $entityName && $referencedEntity[0] !== '@') {
                 continue;
             }
             $otherEntityStorage = $this->storageFactory->getStorage($otherEntityName);
             $possiblyReferencingEntities = $otherEntityStorage->loadAll();
             if (isset($otherEntityReferences[$reference])) {
                 // 1:N reference
                 $vpReference = "vp_{$reference}";
                 foreach ($possiblyReferencingEntities as $possiblyReferencingEntity) {
                     if (isset($possiblyReferencingEntity[$vpReference])) {
                         $referencedVpidsString = $possiblyReferencingEntity[$vpReference];
                         preg_match_all(IdUtil::getRegexMatchingId(), $referencedVpidsString, $matches);
                         if (ArrayUtils::any($matches[0], Comparators::equals($entityId))) {
                             return true;
                         }
                     }
                 }
             } elseif (isset($otherEntityMnReferences[$reference])) {
                 // M:N reference
                 $vpReference = "vp_{$otherEntityName}";
                 foreach ($possiblyReferencingEntities as $possiblyReferencingEntity) {
                     if (isset($possiblyReferencingEntity[$vpReference]) && array_search($entityId, $possiblyReferencingEntity[$vpReference]) !== false) {
                         return true;
                     }
                 }
             } elseif (isset($otherEntityValueReferences[$reference])) {
                 // Value reference
                 list($sourceColumn, $sourceValue, $valueColumn, $pathInStructure) = array_values(ReferenceUtils::getValueReferenceDetails($reference));
                 foreach ($possiblyReferencingEntities as $possiblyReferencingEntity) {
                     if (isset($possiblyReferencingEntity[$sourceColumn]) && ($possiblyReferencingEntity[$sourceColumn] === $sourceValue || ReferenceUtils::valueMatchesWildcard($sourceValue, $possiblyReferencingEntity[$sourceColumn])) && isset($possiblyReferencingEntity[$valueColumn])) {
                         if (is_numeric($possiblyReferencingEntity[$valueColumn]) && intval($possiblyReferencingEntity[$valueColumn]) === 0 || $possiblyReferencingEntity[$valueColumn] === '') {
                             continue;
                         }
                         if ($pathInStructure) {
                             $possiblyReferencingEntity[$valueColumn] = unserialize($possiblyReferencingEntity[$valueColumn]);
                             $paths = ReferenceUtils::getMatchingPaths($possiblyReferencingEntity[$valueColumn], $pathInStructure);
                         } else {
                             $paths = [[]];
                             // root = the value itself
                         }
                         /** @var Cursor[] $cursors */
                         $cursors = array_map(function ($path) use(&$possiblyReferencingEntity, $valueColumn) {
                             return new Cursor($possiblyReferencingEntity[$valueColumn], $path);
                         }, $paths);
                         foreach ($cursors as $cursor) {
                             $vpidsString = $cursor->getValue();
                             preg_match_all(IdUtil::getRegexMatchingId(), $vpidsString, $matches);
                             if (ArrayUtils::any($matches[0], Comparators::equals($entityId))) {
                                 return true;
                             }
                         }
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
     }
     return false;
 }