Final answer:
Use the wildcard character when searching with only a partial value known, often symbolized by * or ?. It is useful for pattern matching in searches and database queries.
Step-by-step explanation:
When performing a search where you only know the first or last part of a value, you should use the wildcard character. This is a special character, often represented by symbols such as an asterisk (*) or a question mark (?), that stands in for any other character or set of characters in a search query. Wildcards are incredibly useful in computer searches, database querying, and programming for finding patterns or filtering results where exact matches are unknown or variable.