api: unify pattern conversion for gfind

api/api.lua

@@ -85,6 +85,26 @@ function pfUI.api.round(input, places)
   end
 end
 
+-- [ SanitizePattern ]
+-- Sanitizes and convert patterns into gfind compatible ones.
+-- 'pattern'    [string]         unformatted pattern
+-- returns:     [string]         simplified gfind compatible pattern
+function SanitizePattern(pattern)
+  -- escape brackets
+  pattern = gsub(pattern, "%(", "%%(")
+  pattern = gsub(pattern, "%)", "%%)")
+
+  -- remove bad capture indexes
+  pattern = gsub(pattern, "%d%$s","s") -- %1$s to %s
+  pattern = gsub(pattern, "%ds","s") -- %2s to %s
+
+  -- add capture to all findings
+  pattern = gsub(pattern, "%%s", "(.+)")
+  pattern = gsub(pattern, "%%d", "(%%d+)")
+
+  return pattern
+end
+
 -- [ GetItemLinkByName ]
 -- Returns an itemLink for the given itemname
 -- 'name'       [string]         name of the item