Thanks Rohit -- but I would argue that the documentation needs to be changed from what I copied in my first statement above. Below is all the documentation a users gets, the rest are examples.

Pick[] takes an element from a list based on pattern matching done on a second list. From what you are telling me, Select[] takes an element from a list based on a function preformed on the original list -- I don't see how someone could have figured that out from a careful reading of the documentation -- But thank you very much, that was very helpful and now I am aware of it.

Thanks Rohit, but now I am back to being confused...

sec178 = {"DE:UWS", "DE:VVD", "DE:ZEF", "F:0AZ", "F:1EZA", "F:1K5", 
  "F:1K50", "F:1VX", "F:36E", "F:3ER", "F:49Q", "F:4X8", "F:4Y4", 
  "F:5AR1", "F:5NQ", "F:5ZK", "F:6RY", "F:7AR", "F:86B", "F:A19", 
  "F:AQK", "F:BIU2", "F:C36", "F:C3K", "F:CH6", "F:CNE", "F:DGN", 
  "F:FCC", "F:H2Y", "F:LT5", "F:NGO", "F:PFX1", "F:PNU", "F:RPU", 
  "F:SCB", "F:SCB0", "F:SUD", "F:SY9", "F:TG9", "F:TIA", "F:TMR", 
  "F:TMR0", "F:UL5A", "F:UWS", "F:VVD", "F:VVDH", "F:WA3", "F:WCN", 
  "F:ZEF", "F:ZSC", "HK:00257", "HK:00895", "HK:01065", "HK:01363", 
  "HK:01483", "HK:01857", "HK:03989", "L:BIFF", "L:RWI", "MB:533269", 
  "NASDAQ:AQMS", "NASDAQ:CWST", "NASDAQ:ECOL", "NASDAQ:HCCI", 
  "NASDAQ:JAN", "NASDAQ:PESI", "NASDAQ:QRHC", "NASDAQ:SMED", 
  "NASDAQ:SRCL", "NYSE:AWX", "NYSE:CHRA", "NYSE:CLH", "NYSE:CVA", 
  "NYSE:GFL", "NYSE:GFLU", "NYSE:MEG", "NYSE:NES", "NYSE:NRCG", 
  "NYSE:RSG", "NYSE:WCN", "NYSE:WM", "PA:ALEUP", "PA:ALTUV", "PA:DBG",
   "PA:DBGBS", "PA:SCHP", "PA:VIE", "SS:600874", "SZ:002672", 
  "TO:ANRG", "TO:GFL", "TO:WCN", "TSE:5857", "TSE:9793"}

In[168]:= AA = StringMatchQ[sec178, {"NYSE:*", "NASDAQ:*"}]

Out[168]= {False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, \
True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, \
True, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False}

In[169]:= BB = StringMatchQ[#, {"NYSE:*", "NASDAQ:*"}] & /@ sec178

Out[169]= {False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, \
True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, True, \
True, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, \
False, False, False, False}

In[170]:= AA === BB

Out[170]= True

In[172]:= Pick[sec178, AA]
Pick[sec178, BB]

Out[172]= {"NASDAQ:AQMS", "NASDAQ:CWST", "NASDAQ:ECOL", \
"NASDAQ:HCCI", "NASDAQ:JAN", "NASDAQ:PESI", "NASDAQ:QRHC", \
"NASDAQ:SMED", "NASDAQ:SRCL", "NYSE:AWX", "NYSE:CHRA", "NYSE:CLH", \
"NYSE:CVA", "NYSE:GFL", "NYSE:GFLU", "NYSE:MEG", "NYSE:NES", \
"NYSE:NRCG", "NYSE:RSG", "NYSE:WCN", "NYSE:WM"}

Out[173]= {"NASDAQ:AQMS", "NASDAQ:CWST", "NASDAQ:ECOL", \
"NASDAQ:HCCI", "NASDAQ:JAN", "NASDAQ:PESI", "NASDAQ:QRHC", \
"NASDAQ:SMED", "NASDAQ:SRCL", "NYSE:AWX", "NYSE:CHRA", "NYSE:CLH", \
"NYSE:CVA", "NYSE:GFL", "NYSE:GFLU", "NYSE:MEG", "NYSE:NES", \
"NYSE:NRCG", "NYSE:RSG", "NYSE:WCN", "NYSE:WM"}

In[178]:= Select[sec178, AA]
Select[sec178, BB]
Select[sec178, StringMatchQ[#, {"NYSE:*", "NASDAQ:*"}] &]

Out[178]= {}

Out[179]= {}

Out[180]= {"NASDAQ:AQMS", "NASDAQ:CWST", "NASDAQ:ECOL", \
"NASDAQ:HCCI", "NASDAQ:JAN", "NASDAQ:PESI", "NASDAQ:QRHC", \
"NASDAQ:SMED", "NASDAQ:SRCL", "NYSE:AWX", "NYSE:CHRA", "NYSE:CLH", \
"NYSE:CVA", "NYSE:GFL", "NYSE:GFLU", "NYSE:MEG", "NYSE:NES", \
"NYSE:NRCG", "NYSE:RSG", "NYSE:WCN", "NYSE:WM"} 

The results of code AA and BB are exactly the same, what is different about the last part of the code in Select[sec178, StringMatchQ[#, {"NYSE:", "NASDAQ:"}] &]???

Pick[] works with both AA and BB, but Select[] does not work with AA nor does it work with BB, but has to have it at BurgerKing -- have it, its own way. Hard to make sense of a code with such anomalies?? What am I missing here???

Thank you Pedro -- we are getting close, but I am still a little slow. So what I gather is that Slot, # & iterates through the list, like Table, but without the instructions of ,{i, 1, 178}. and StringMatchQ, by itself, looks at only the first element, makes an assessment and quits, not bothering to look at the rest of the elements in the list??

But what did Pick[] do to StringMatchQ so now it has the vitality to ponder the whole list and give me the correct results???

Hello Raymond!

According to the documentation, Select[...] takes two arguments, a "list" and a criteria "crit" that must be a function. Why? Because every single item from the list will be applied for the criteria "crit".

When you do something like:

In[1]:= Select[mylist, StringMatchQ[mylist, "..."]]

You're not giving a proper criteria.. StringMatchQ itself does not work with a list, only an individual word.

If you do the following:

In[2]:= Select[mylist, StringMatchQ[#, "..."] &]

That will work! Because the second argument of Select is a function, thus, every single String from your list will be tested and selected for those who produce True as output.

Hope it helps!

Pedro Cabral.

Select[{"NYSE:123", "NASDAQ:456", "NotRelevent"}, 
 StringMatchQ[#, {"NYSE*", "NASDAQ*"}] &]

In Select you need a predicate function in the second argument.