> +download_links_for_subject1_files*
> ++download_links_for_*.zip*
> --download_links_for_*.exe*

I don't really get what you mean with these rules.. are they just some sort of
"shortcut" ?
You can already do things like:

+www.foo.com/bar/*
+*.zip
-*.exe
-www.foo.com/bar/*.zip
+www.foo.com/bar/*.exe