function formatPattern(value, pattern) {
  if (value){
    var characters = pattern.replace(getWildcardRegex(), ""); // removes all wild cards
    value = value.replace(new RegExp("["+characters+"]", 'gi'), ""); // removes all non wildcard characters in pattern
    if (value){
      return replace(value, pattern);
    }
  }
}

function replace(remainingString, pattern) {
  var index = pattern.search(getWildcardRegex());
  pattern = pattern.split('');
  if (index > -1){
    for(var i = 0; i < wildcards.length; i ++){
      if (wildcards[i].wildcard == pattern[index]){ // find correct wildcard in array
        if (wildcards[i].isValid(remainingString.charAt(0))){
          pattern[index] = remainingString.charAt(0);
        } else {
          pattern[index] = ""; // removes character at index
        }
        remainingString = remainingString.substring(1, remainingString.length);
      }
    }

    if (remainingString.length > 0){
      return replace(remainingString, pattern.join(''));
    } else {
      return pattern.join('').substring(0, index+1);
    }
  }
  return pattern.join('');
}



var wildcards = [
  {
    wildcard: "9",
    isValid: function(value){
      if (!isNaN(parseInt(value))){
        return true;
      } else {
        return false;
      }
    }
  },
  {
    wildcard: "z",
    isValid: function(value){
      if (value.match(/[a-z]/i)){
        return true;
      } else {
        return false;
      }
    }
  },
  {
    wildcard: "*",
    isValid: function(value){
      return true; // * = everything
    }
  }
]

function getWildcardRegex(){
  var retValue = "";
  for(var i = 0; i < wildcards.length; i ++){
    retValue += wildcards[i].wildcard;
  }
  return new RegExp("[" + retValue + "]", 'gi');
}