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annotate lispref/searching.texi @ 79421:56d25c64546c
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6552 | 1 @c -*-texinfo-*- |
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. | |
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3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, |
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4 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
6552 | 5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. |
6 @setfilename ../info/searching | |
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7 @node Searching and Matching, Syntax Tables, Non-ASCII Characters, Top |
6552 | 8 @chapter Searching and Matching |
9 @cindex searching | |
10 | |
11 GNU Emacs provides two ways to search through a buffer for specified | |
12 text: exact string searches and regular expression searches. After a | |
13 regular expression search, you can examine the @dfn{match data} to | |
14 determine which text matched the whole regular expression or various | |
15 portions of it. | |
16 | |
17 @menu | |
18 * String Search:: Search for an exact match. | |
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19 * Searching and Case:: Case-independent or case-significant searching. |
6552 | 20 * Regular Expressions:: Describing classes of strings. |
21 * Regexp Search:: Searching for a match for a regexp. | |
12067 | 22 * POSIX Regexps:: Searching POSIX-style for the longest match. |
54041 | 23 * Match Data:: Finding out which part of the text matched, |
24 after a string or regexp search. | |
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25 * Search and Replace:: Commands that loop, searching and replacing. |
6552 | 26 * Standard Regexps:: Useful regexps for finding sentences, pages,... |
27 @end menu | |
28 | |
29 The @samp{skip-chars@dots{}} functions also perform a kind of searching. | |
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30 @xref{Skipping Characters}. To search for changes in character |
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31 properties, see @ref{Property Search}. |
6552 | 32 |
33 @node String Search | |
34 @section Searching for Strings | |
35 @cindex string search | |
36 | |
37 These are the primitive functions for searching through the text in a | |
38 buffer. They are meant for use in programs, but you may call them | |
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39 interactively. If you do so, they prompt for the search string; the |
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40 arguments @var{limit} and @var{noerror} are @code{nil}, and @var{repeat} |
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41 is 1. |
6552 | 42 |
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43 These search functions convert the search string to multibyte if the |
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44 buffer is multibyte; they convert the search string to unibyte if the |
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45 buffer is unibyte. @xref{Text Representations}. |
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46 |
6552 | 47 @deffn Command search-forward string &optional limit noerror repeat |
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48 This function searches forward from point for an exact match for |
6552 | 49 @var{string}. If successful, it sets point to the end of the occurrence |
50 found, and returns the new value of point. If no match is found, the | |
51 value and side effects depend on @var{noerror} (see below). | |
52 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
53 | |
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54 In the following example, point is initially at the beginning of the |
6552 | 55 line. Then @code{(search-forward "fox")} moves point after the last |
56 letter of @samp{fox}: | |
57 | |
58 @example | |
59 @group | |
60 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
61 @point{}The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. | |
62 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
63 @end group | |
64 | |
65 @group | |
66 (search-forward "fox") | |
67 @result{} 20 | |
68 | |
69 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
70 The quick brown fox@point{} jumped over the lazy dog. | |
71 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
72 @end group | |
73 @end example | |
74 | |
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75 The argument @var{limit} specifies the upper bound to the search. (It |
6552 | 76 must be a position in the current buffer.) No match extending after |
77 that position is accepted. If @var{limit} is omitted or @code{nil}, it | |
78 defaults to the end of the accessible portion of the buffer. | |
79 | |
80 @kindex search-failed | |
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81 What happens when the search fails depends on the value of |
6552 | 82 @var{noerror}. If @var{noerror} is @code{nil}, a @code{search-failed} |
83 error is signaled. If @var{noerror} is @code{t}, @code{search-forward} | |
84 returns @code{nil} and does nothing. If @var{noerror} is neither | |
85 @code{nil} nor @code{t}, then @code{search-forward} moves point to the | |
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86 upper bound and returns @code{nil}. (It would be more consistent now to |
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87 return the new position of point in that case, but some existing |
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88 programs may depend on a value of @code{nil}.) |
6552 | 89 |
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90 The argument @var{noerror} only affects valid searches which fail to |
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91 find a match. Invalid arguments cause errors regardless of |
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92 @var{noerror}. |
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93 |
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94 If @var{repeat} is supplied (it must be a positive number), then the |
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95 search is repeated that many times (each time starting at the end of the |
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96 previous time's match). If these successive searches succeed, the |
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97 function succeeds, moving point and returning its new value. Otherwise |
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98 the search fails, with results depending on the value of |
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99 @var{noerror}, as described above. |
6552 | 100 @end deffn |
101 | |
102 @deffn Command search-backward string &optional limit noerror repeat | |
103 This function searches backward from point for @var{string}. It is | |
104 just like @code{search-forward} except that it searches backwards and | |
105 leaves point at the beginning of the match. | |
106 @end deffn | |
107 | |
108 @deffn Command word-search-forward string &optional limit noerror repeat | |
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109 @c @cindex word search Redundant |
6552 | 110 This function searches forward from point for a ``word'' match for |
111 @var{string}. If it finds a match, it sets point to the end of the | |
112 match found, and returns the new value of point. | |
113 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
114 | |
115 Word matching regards @var{string} as a sequence of words, disregarding | |
116 punctuation that separates them. It searches the buffer for the same | |
117 sequence of words. Each word must be distinct in the buffer (searching | |
118 for the word @samp{ball} does not match the word @samp{balls}), but the | |
119 details of punctuation and spacing are ignored (searching for @samp{ball | |
120 boy} does match @samp{ball. Boy!}). | |
121 | |
122 In this example, point is initially at the beginning of the buffer; the | |
123 search leaves it between the @samp{y} and the @samp{!}. | |
124 | |
125 @example | |
126 @group | |
127 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
128 @point{}He said "Please! Find | |
129 the ball boy!" | |
130 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
131 @end group | |
132 | |
133 @group | |
134 (word-search-forward "Please find the ball, boy.") | |
135 @result{} 35 | |
136 | |
137 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
138 He said "Please! Find | |
139 the ball boy@point{}!" | |
140 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
141 @end group | |
142 @end example | |
143 | |
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144 If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, it must be a position in the current |
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145 buffer; it specifies the upper bound to the search. The match found |
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146 must not extend after that position. |
6552 | 147 |
148 If @var{noerror} is @code{nil}, then @code{word-search-forward} signals | |
149 an error if the search fails. If @var{noerror} is @code{t}, then it | |
150 returns @code{nil} instead of signaling an error. If @var{noerror} is | |
151 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, it moves point to @var{limit} (or the | |
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152 end of the accessible portion of the buffer) and returns @code{nil}. |
6552 | 153 |
154 If @var{repeat} is non-@code{nil}, then the search is repeated that many | |
155 times. Point is positioned at the end of the last match. | |
156 @end deffn | |
157 | |
158 @deffn Command word-search-backward string &optional limit noerror repeat | |
159 This function searches backward from point for a word match to | |
160 @var{string}. This function is just like @code{word-search-forward} | |
161 except that it searches backward and normally leaves point at the | |
162 beginning of the match. | |
163 @end deffn | |
164 | |
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165 @node Searching and Case |
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166 @section Searching and Case |
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167 @cindex searching and case |
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168 |
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169 By default, searches in Emacs ignore the case of the text they are |
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170 searching through; if you specify searching for @samp{FOO}, then |
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171 @samp{Foo} or @samp{foo} is also considered a match. This applies to |
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172 regular expressions, too; thus, @samp{[aB]} would match @samp{a} or |
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173 @samp{A} or @samp{b} or @samp{B}. |
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174 |
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175 If you do not want this feature, set the variable |
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176 @code{case-fold-search} to @code{nil}. Then all letters must match |
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177 exactly, including case. This is a buffer-local variable; altering the |
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178 variable affects only the current buffer. (@xref{Intro to |
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179 Buffer-Local}.) Alternatively, you may change the value of |
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180 @code{default-case-fold-search}, which is the default value of |
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181 @code{case-fold-search} for buffers that do not override it. |
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182 |
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183 Note that the user-level incremental search feature handles case |
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184 distinctions differently. When given a lower case letter, it looks for |
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185 a match of either case, but when given an upper case letter, it looks |
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186 for an upper case letter only. But this has nothing to do with the |
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187 searching functions used in Lisp code. |
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188 |
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189 @defopt case-replace |
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190 This variable determines whether the higher level replacement |
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191 functions should preserve case. If the variable is @code{nil}, that |
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192 means to use the replacement text verbatim. A non-@code{nil} value |
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193 means to convert the case of the replacement text according to the |
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194 text being replaced. |
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195 |
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196 This variable is used by passing it as an argument to the function |
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197 @code{replace-match}. @xref{Replacing Match}. |
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198 @end defopt |
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199 |
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200 @defopt case-fold-search |
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201 This buffer-local variable determines whether searches should ignore |
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202 case. If the variable is @code{nil} they do not ignore case; otherwise |
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203 they do ignore case. |
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204 @end defopt |
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205 |
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206 @defvar default-case-fold-search |
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207 The value of this variable is the default value for |
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208 @code{case-fold-search} in buffers that do not override it. This is the |
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209 same as @code{(default-value 'case-fold-search)}. |
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210 @end defvar |
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211 |
6552 | 212 @node Regular Expressions |
213 @section Regular Expressions | |
214 @cindex regular expression | |
215 @cindex regexp | |
216 | |
217 A @dfn{regular expression} (@dfn{regexp}, for short) is a pattern that | |
218 denotes a (possibly infinite) set of strings. Searching for matches for | |
219 a regexp is a very powerful operation. This section explains how to write | |
220 regexps; the following section says how to search for them. | |
221 | |
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222 @findex re-builder |
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223 @cindex regular expressions, developing |
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224 For convenient interactive development of regular expressions, you |
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225 can use the @kbd{M-x re-builder} command. It provides a convenient |
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226 interface for creating regular expressions, by giving immediate visual |
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227 feedback in a separate buffer. As you edit the regexp, all its |
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228 matches in the target buffer are highlighted. Each parenthesized |
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229 sub-expression of the regexp is shown in a distinct face, which makes |
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230 it easier to verify even very complex regexps. |
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231 |
6552 | 232 @menu |
233 * Syntax of Regexps:: Rules for writing regular expressions. | |
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234 * Regexp Example:: Illustrates regular expression syntax. |
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235 * Regexp Functions:: Functions for operating on regular expressions. |
6552 | 236 @end menu |
237 | |
238 @node Syntax of Regexps | |
239 @subsection Syntax of Regular Expressions | |
240 | |
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241 Regular expressions have a syntax in which a few characters are |
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242 special constructs and the rest are @dfn{ordinary}. An ordinary |
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243 character is a simple regular expression that matches that character |
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244 and nothing else. The special characters are @samp{.}, @samp{*}, |
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245 @samp{+}, @samp{?}, @samp{[}, @samp{^}, @samp{$}, and @samp{\}; no new |
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246 special characters will be defined in the future. The character |
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247 @samp{]} is special if it ends a character alternative (see later). |
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248 The character @samp{-} is special inside a character alternative. A |
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249 @samp{[:} and balancing @samp{:]} enclose a character class inside a |
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250 character alternative. Any other character appearing in a regular |
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251 expression is ordinary, unless a @samp{\} precedes it. |
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253 For example, @samp{f} is not a special character, so it is ordinary, and |
6552 | 254 therefore @samp{f} is a regular expression that matches the string |
255 @samp{f} and no other string. (It does @emph{not} match the string | |
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256 @samp{fg}, but it does match a @emph{part} of that string.) Likewise, |
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257 @samp{o} is a regular expression that matches only @samp{o}.@refill |
6552 | 258 |
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259 Any two regular expressions @var{a} and @var{b} can be concatenated. The |
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260 result is a regular expression that matches a string if @var{a} matches |
6552 | 261 some amount of the beginning of that string and @var{b} matches the rest of |
262 the string.@refill | |
263 | |
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264 As a simple example, we can concatenate the regular expressions @samp{f} |
6552 | 265 and @samp{o} to get the regular expression @samp{fo}, which matches only |
266 the string @samp{fo}. Still trivial. To do something more powerful, you | |
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267 need to use one of the special regular expression constructs. |
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268 |
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269 @menu |
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270 * Regexp Special:: Special characters in regular expressions. |
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271 * Char Classes:: Character classes used in regular expressions. |
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272 * Regexp Backslash:: Backslash-sequences in regular expressions. |
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273 @end menu |
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274 |
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275 @node Regexp Special |
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276 @subsubsection Special Characters in Regular Expressions |
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277 |
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278 Here is a list of the characters that are special in a regular |
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279 expression. |
6552 | 280 |
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281 @need 800 |
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282 @table @asis |
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283 @item @samp{.}@: @r{(Period)} |
6552 | 284 @cindex @samp{.} in regexp |
285 is a special character that matches any single character except a newline. | |
286 Using concatenation, we can make regular expressions like @samp{a.b}, which | |
287 matches any three-character string that begins with @samp{a} and ends with | |
288 @samp{b}.@refill | |
289 | |
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290 @item @samp{*} |
6552 | 291 @cindex @samp{*} in regexp |
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292 is not a construct by itself; it is a postfix operator that means to |
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293 match the preceding regular expression repetitively as many times as |
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294 possible. Thus, @samp{o*} matches any number of @samp{o}s (including no |
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295 @samp{o}s). |
6552 | 296 |
297 @samp{*} always applies to the @emph{smallest} possible preceding | |
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298 expression. Thus, @samp{fo*} has a repeating @samp{o}, not a repeating |
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299 @samp{fo}. It matches @samp{f}, @samp{fo}, @samp{foo}, and so on. |
6552 | 300 |
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301 The matcher processes a @samp{*} construct by matching, immediately, as |
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302 many repetitions as can be found. Then it continues with the rest of |
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303 the pattern. If that fails, backtracking occurs, discarding some of the |
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304 matches of the @samp{*}-modified construct in the hope that that will |
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305 make it possible to match the rest of the pattern. For example, in |
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306 matching @samp{ca*ar} against the string @samp{caaar}, the @samp{a*} |
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307 first tries to match all three @samp{a}s; but the rest of the pattern is |
6552 | 308 @samp{ar} and there is only @samp{r} left to match, so this try fails. |
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309 The next alternative is for @samp{a*} to match only two @samp{a}s. With |
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310 this choice, the rest of the regexp matches successfully. |
6552 | 311 |
77123 | 312 @strong{Warning:} Nested repetition operators can run for an |
313 indefinitely long time, if they lead to ambiguous matching. For | |
314 example, trying to match the regular expression @samp{\(x+y*\)*a} | |
315 against the string @samp{xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxz} could | |
316 take hours before it ultimately fails. Emacs must try each way of | |
317 grouping the @samp{x}s before concluding that none of them can work. | |
318 Even worse, @samp{\(x*\)*} can match the null string in infinitely | |
319 many ways, so it causes an infinite loop. To avoid these problems, | |
320 check nested repetitions carefully, to make sure that they do not | |
321 cause combinatorial explosions in backtracking. | |
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322 |
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323 @item @samp{+} |
6552 | 324 @cindex @samp{+} in regexp |
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325 is a postfix operator, similar to @samp{*} except that it must match |
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326 the preceding expression at least once. So, for example, @samp{ca+r} |
6552 | 327 matches the strings @samp{car} and @samp{caaaar} but not the string |
328 @samp{cr}, whereas @samp{ca*r} matches all three strings. | |
329 | |
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330 @item @samp{?} |
6552 | 331 @cindex @samp{?} in regexp |
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332 is a postfix operator, similar to @samp{*} except that it must match the |
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333 preceding expression either once or not at all. For example, |
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334 @samp{ca?r} matches @samp{car} or @samp{cr}; nothing else. |
6552 | 335 |
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336 @item @samp{*?}, @samp{+?}, @samp{??} |
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337 These are ``non-greedy'' variants of the operators @samp{*}, @samp{+} |
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338 and @samp{?}. Where those operators match the largest possible |
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339 substring (consistent with matching the entire containing expression), |
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340 the non-greedy variants match the smallest possible substring |
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341 (consistent with matching the entire containing expression). |
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342 |
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343 For example, the regular expression @samp{c[ad]*a} when applied to the |
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344 string @samp{cdaaada} matches the whole string; but the regular |
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345 expression @samp{c[ad]*?a}, applied to that same string, matches just |
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346 @samp{cda}. (The smallest possible match here for @samp{[ad]*?} that |
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347 permits the whole expression to match is @samp{d}.) |
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348 |
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349 @item @samp{[ @dots{} ]} |
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350 @cindex character alternative (in regexp) |
6552 | 351 @cindex @samp{[} in regexp |
352 @cindex @samp{]} in regexp | |
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353 is a @dfn{character alternative}, which begins with @samp{[} and is |
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354 terminated by @samp{]}. In the simplest case, the characters between |
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355 the two brackets are what this character alternative can match. |
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357 Thus, @samp{[ad]} matches either one @samp{a} or one @samp{d}, and |
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358 @samp{[ad]*} matches any string composed of just @samp{a}s and @samp{d}s |
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359 (including the empty string), from which it follows that @samp{c[ad]*r} |
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360 matches @samp{cr}, @samp{car}, @samp{cdr}, @samp{caddaar}, etc. |
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362 You can also include character ranges in a character alternative, by |
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363 writing the starting and ending characters with a @samp{-} between them. |
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364 Thus, @samp{[a-z]} matches any lower-case @acronym{ASCII} letter. |
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365 Ranges may be intermixed freely with individual characters, as in |
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366 @samp{[a-z$%.]}, which matches any lower case @acronym{ASCII} letter |
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367 or @samp{$}, @samp{%} or period. |
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369 Note that the usual regexp special characters are not special inside a |
24934 | 370 character alternative. A completely different set of characters is |
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371 special inside character alternatives: @samp{]}, @samp{-} and @samp{^}. |
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372 |
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373 To include a @samp{]} in a character alternative, you must make it the |
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374 first character. For example, @samp{[]a]} matches @samp{]} or @samp{a}. |
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375 To include a @samp{-}, write @samp{-} as the first or last character of |
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376 the character alternative, or put it after a range. Thus, @samp{[]-]} |
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377 matches both @samp{]} and @samp{-}. |
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379 To include @samp{^} in a character alternative, put it anywhere but at |
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380 the beginning. |
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382 The beginning and end of a range of multibyte characters must be in |
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383 the same character set (@pxref{Character Sets}). Thus, |
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384 @code{"[\x8e0-\x97c]"} is invalid because character 0x8e0 (@samp{a} |
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385 with grave accent) is in the Emacs character set for Latin-1 but the |
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386 character 0x97c (@samp{u} with diaeresis) is in the Emacs character |
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387 set for Latin-2. (We use Lisp string syntax to write that example, |
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388 and a few others in the next few paragraphs, in order to include hex |
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389 escape sequences in them.) |
32464 | 390 |
391 If a range starts with a unibyte character @var{c} and ends with a | |
392 multibyte character @var{c2}, the range is divided into two parts: one | |
393 is @samp{@var{c}..?\377}, the other is @samp{@var{c1}..@var{c2}}, where | |
394 @var{c1} is the first character of the charset to which @var{c2} | |
395 belongs. | |
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396 |
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397 You cannot always match all non-@acronym{ASCII} characters with the regular |
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398 expression @code{"[\200-\377]"}. This works when searching a unibyte |
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399 buffer or string (@pxref{Text Representations}), but not in a multibyte |
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400 buffer or string, because many non-@acronym{ASCII} characters have codes |
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401 above octal 0377. However, the regular expression @code{"[^\000-\177]"} |
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402 does match all non-@acronym{ASCII} characters (see below regarding @samp{^}), |
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403 in both multibyte and unibyte representations, because only the |
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404 @acronym{ASCII} characters are excluded. |
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405 |
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406 A character alternative can also specify named |
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407 character classes (@pxref{Char Classes}). This is a POSIX feature whose |
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408 syntax is @samp{[:@var{class}:]}. Using a character class is equivalent |
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409 to mentioning each of the characters in that class; but the latter is |
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410 not feasible in practice, since some classes include thousands of |
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411 different characters. |
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412 |
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413 @item @samp{[^ @dots{} ]} |
6552 | 414 @cindex @samp{^} in regexp |
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415 @samp{[^} begins a @dfn{complemented character alternative}. This |
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416 matches any character except the ones specified. Thus, |
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417 @samp{[^a-z0-9A-Z]} matches all characters @emph{except} letters and |
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418 digits. |
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420 @samp{^} is not special in a character alternative unless it is the first |
6552 | 421 character. The character following the @samp{^} is treated as if it |
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422 were first (in other words, @samp{-} and @samp{]} are not special there). |
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424 A complemented character alternative can match a newline, unless newline is |
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425 mentioned as one of the characters not to match. This is in contrast to |
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426 the handling of regexps in programs such as @code{grep}. |
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428 @item @samp{^} |
6552 | 429 @cindex beginning of line in regexp |
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430 When matching a buffer, @samp{^} matches the empty string, but only at the |
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431 beginning of a line in the text being matched (or the beginning of the |
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432 accessible portion of the buffer). Otherwise it fails to match |
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433 anything. Thus, @samp{^foo} matches a @samp{foo} that occurs at the |
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434 beginning of a line. |
6552 | 435 |
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436 When matching a string instead of a buffer, @samp{^} matches at the |
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437 beginning of the string or after a newline character. |
6552 | 438 |
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439 For historical compatibility reasons, @samp{^} can be used only at the |
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440 beginning of the regular expression, or after @samp{\(}, @samp{\(?:} |
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441 or @samp{\|}. |
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442 |
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443 @item @samp{$} |
6552 | 444 @cindex @samp{$} in regexp |
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445 @cindex end of line in regexp |
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446 is similar to @samp{^} but matches only at the end of a line (or the |
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447 end of the accessible portion of the buffer). Thus, @samp{x+$} |
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448 matches a string of one @samp{x} or more at the end of a line. |
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450 When matching a string instead of a buffer, @samp{$} matches at the end |
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451 of the string or before a newline character. |
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453 For historical compatibility reasons, @samp{$} can be used only at the |
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454 end of the regular expression, or before @samp{\)} or @samp{\|}. |
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455 |
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456 @item @samp{\} |
6552 | 457 @cindex @samp{\} in regexp |
458 has two functions: it quotes the special characters (including | |
459 @samp{\}), and it introduces additional special constructs. | |
460 | |
461 Because @samp{\} quotes special characters, @samp{\$} is a regular | |
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462 expression that matches only @samp{$}, and @samp{\[} is a regular |
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463 expression that matches only @samp{[}, and so on. |
6552 | 464 |
465 Note that @samp{\} also has special meaning in the read syntax of Lisp | |
466 strings (@pxref{String Type}), and must be quoted with @samp{\}. For | |
467 example, the regular expression that matches the @samp{\} character is | |
468 @samp{\\}. To write a Lisp string that contains the characters | |
469 @samp{\\}, Lisp syntax requires you to quote each @samp{\} with another | |
470 @samp{\}. Therefore, the read syntax for a regular expression matching | |
471 @samp{\} is @code{"\\\\"}.@refill | |
472 @end table | |
473 | |
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474 @strong{Please note:} For historical compatibility, special characters |
6552 | 475 are treated as ordinary ones if they are in contexts where their special |
476 meanings make no sense. For example, @samp{*foo} treats @samp{*} as | |
477 ordinary since there is no preceding expression on which the @samp{*} | |
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478 can act. It is poor practice to depend on this behavior; quote the |
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479 special character anyway, regardless of where it appears.@refill |
6552 | 480 |
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481 As a @samp{\} is not special inside a character alternative, it can |
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482 never remove the special meaning of @samp{-} or @samp{]}. So you |
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483 should not quote these characters when they have no special meaning |
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484 either. This would not clarify anything, since backslashes can |
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485 legitimately precede these characters where they @emph{have} special |
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486 meaning, as in @samp{[^\]} (@code{"[^\\]"} for Lisp string syntax), |
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487 which matches any single character except a backslash. |
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488 |
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489 In practice, most @samp{]} that occur in regular expressions close a |
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490 character alternative and hence are special. However, occasionally a |
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491 regular expression may try to match a complex pattern of literal |
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492 @samp{[} and @samp{]}. In such situations, it sometimes may be |
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493 necessary to carefully parse the regexp from the start to determine |
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494 which square brackets enclose a character alternative. For example, |
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495 @samp{[^][]]} consists of the complemented character alternative |
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496 @samp{[^][]} (which matches any single character that is not a square |
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497 bracket), followed by a literal @samp{]}. |
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498 |
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499 The exact rules are that at the beginning of a regexp, @samp{[} is |
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500 special and @samp{]} not. This lasts until the first unquoted |
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501 @samp{[}, after which we are in a character alternative; @samp{[} is |
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502 no longer special (except when it starts a character class) but @samp{]} |
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503 is special, unless it immediately follows the special @samp{[} or that |
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504 @samp{[} followed by a @samp{^}. This lasts until the next special |
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505 @samp{]} that does not end a character class. This ends the character |
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506 alternative and restores the ordinary syntax of regular expressions; |
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507 an unquoted @samp{[} is special again and a @samp{]} not. |
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508 |
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509 @node Char Classes |
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510 @subsubsection Character Classes |
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511 @cindex character classes in regexp |
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512 |
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513 Here is a table of the classes you can use in a character alternative, |
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514 and what they mean: |
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515 |
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516 @table @samp |
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517 @item [:ascii:] |
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518 This matches any @acronym{ASCII} character (codes 0--127). |
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519 @item [:alnum:] |
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520 This matches any letter or digit. (At present, for multibyte |
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521 characters, it matches anything that has word syntax.) |
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522 @item [:alpha:] |
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523 This matches any letter. (At present, for multibyte characters, it |
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524 matches anything that has word syntax.) |
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525 @item [:blank:] |
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526 This matches space and tab only. |
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527 @item [:cntrl:] |
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528 This matches any @acronym{ASCII} control character. |
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529 @item [:digit:] |
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530 This matches @samp{0} through @samp{9}. Thus, @samp{[-+[:digit:]]} |
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531 matches any digit, as well as @samp{+} and @samp{-}. |
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532 @item [:graph:] |
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533 This matches graphic characters---everything except @acronym{ASCII} control |
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534 characters, space, and the delete character. |
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535 @item [:lower:] |
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536 This matches any lower-case letter, as determined by |
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537 the current case table (@pxref{Case Tables}). |
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538 @item [:multibyte:] |
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539 This matches any multibyte character (@pxref{Text Representations}). |
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540 @item [:nonascii:] |
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541 This matches any non-@acronym{ASCII} character. |
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542 @item [:print:] |
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543 This matches printing characters---everything except @acronym{ASCII} control |
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544 characters and the delete character. |
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545 @item [:punct:] |
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546 This matches any punctuation character. (At present, for multibyte |
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547 characters, it matches anything that has non-word syntax.) |
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548 @item [:space:] |
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549 This matches any character that has whitespace syntax |
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550 (@pxref{Syntax Class Table}). |
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551 @item [:unibyte:] |
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552 This matches any unibyte character (@pxref{Text Representations}). |
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553 @item [:upper:] |
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554 This matches any upper-case letter, as determined by |
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555 the current case table (@pxref{Case Tables}). |
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556 @item [:word:] |
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557 This matches any character that has word syntax (@pxref{Syntax Class |
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558 Table}). |
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559 @item [:xdigit:] |
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560 This matches the hexadecimal digits: @samp{0} through @samp{9}, @samp{a} |
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561 through @samp{f} and @samp{A} through @samp{F}. |
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562 @end table |
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563 |
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564 @node Regexp Backslash |
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565 @subsubsection Backslash Constructs in Regular Expressions |
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566 |
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567 For the most part, @samp{\} followed by any character matches only |
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568 that character. However, there are several exceptions: certain |
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569 two-character sequences starting with @samp{\} that have special |
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570 meanings. (The character after the @samp{\} in such a sequence is |
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571 always ordinary when used on its own.) Here is a table of the special |
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572 @samp{\} constructs. |
6552 | 573 |
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574 @table @samp |
6552 | 575 @item \| |
576 @cindex @samp{|} in regexp | |
577 @cindex regexp alternative | |
578 specifies an alternative. | |
579 Two regular expressions @var{a} and @var{b} with @samp{\|} in | |
580 between form an expression that matches anything that either @var{a} or | |
581 @var{b} matches.@refill | |
582 | |
583 Thus, @samp{foo\|bar} matches either @samp{foo} or @samp{bar} | |
584 but no other string.@refill | |
585 | |
586 @samp{\|} applies to the largest possible surrounding expressions. Only a | |
587 surrounding @samp{\( @dots{} \)} grouping can limit the grouping power of | |
588 @samp{\|}.@refill | |
589 | |
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590 If you need full backtracking capability to handle multiple uses of |
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591 @samp{\|}, use the POSIX regular expression functions (@pxref{POSIX |
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592 Regexps}). |
6552 | 593 |
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594 @item \@{@var{m}\@} |
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595 is a postfix operator that repeats the previous pattern exactly @var{m} |
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596 times. Thus, @samp{x\@{5\@}} matches the string @samp{xxxxx} |
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597 and nothing else. @samp{c[ad]\@{3\@}r} matches string such as |
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598 @samp{caaar}, @samp{cdddr}, @samp{cadar}, and so on. |
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599 |
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600 @item \@{@var{m},@var{n}\@} |
54041 | 601 is a more general postfix operator that specifies repetition with a |
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602 minimum of @var{m} repeats and a maximum of @var{n} repeats. If @var{m} |
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603 is omitted, the minimum is 0; if @var{n} is omitted, there is no |
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604 maximum. |
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605 |
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606 For example, @samp{c[ad]\@{1,2\@}r} matches the strings @samp{car}, |
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607 @samp{cdr}, @samp{caar}, @samp{cadr}, @samp{cdar}, and @samp{cddr}, and |
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608 nothing else.@* |
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609 @samp{\@{0,1\@}} or @samp{\@{,1\@}} is equivalent to @samp{?}. @* |
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610 @samp{\@{0,\@}} or @samp{\@{,\@}} is equivalent to @samp{*}. @* |
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611 @samp{\@{1,\@}} is equivalent to @samp{+}. |
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612 |
6552 | 613 @item \( @dots{} \) |
614 @cindex @samp{(} in regexp | |
615 @cindex @samp{)} in regexp | |
616 @cindex regexp grouping | |
617 is a grouping construct that serves three purposes: | |
618 | |
619 @enumerate | |
620 @item | |
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621 To enclose a set of @samp{\|} alternatives for other operations. Thus, |
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622 the regular expression @samp{\(foo\|bar\)x} matches either @samp{foox} |
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623 or @samp{barx}. |
6552 | 624 |
625 @item | |
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626 To enclose a complicated expression for the postfix operators @samp{*}, |
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627 @samp{+} and @samp{?} to operate on. Thus, @samp{ba\(na\)*} matches |
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628 @samp{ba}, @samp{bana}, @samp{banana}, @samp{bananana}, etc., with any |
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629 number (zero or more) of @samp{na} strings. |
6552 | 630 |
631 @item | |
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632 To record a matched substring for future reference with |
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633 @samp{\@var{digit}} (see below). |
6552 | 634 @end enumerate |
635 | |
636 This last application is not a consequence of the idea of a | |
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637 parenthetical grouping; it is a separate feature that was assigned as a |
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638 second meaning to the same @samp{\( @dots{} \)} construct because, in |
48701 | 639 practice, there was usually no conflict between the two meanings. But |
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640 occasionally there is a conflict, and that led to the introduction of |
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641 shy groups. |
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642 |
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643 @item \(?: @dots{} \) |
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644 is the @dfn{shy group} construct. A shy group serves the first two |
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645 purposes of an ordinary group (controlling the nesting of other |
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646 operators), but it does not get a number, so you cannot refer back to |
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647 its value with @samp{\@var{digit}}. |
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648 |
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649 Shy groups are particularly useful for mechanically-constructed regular |
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650 expressions because they can be added automatically without altering the |
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651 numbering of any ordinary, non-shy groups. |
6552 | 652 |
653 @item \@var{digit} | |
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654 matches the same text that matched the @var{digit}th occurrence of a |
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655 grouping (@samp{\( @dots{} \)}) construct. |
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656 |
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657 In other words, after the end of a group, the matcher remembers the |
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658 beginning and end of the text matched by that group. Later on in the |
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659 regular expression you can use @samp{\} followed by @var{digit} to |
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660 match that same text, whatever it may have been. |
6552 | 661 |
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662 The strings matching the first nine grouping constructs appearing in |
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663 the entire regular expression passed to a search or matching function |
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664 are assigned numbers 1 through 9 in the order that the open |
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665 parentheses appear in the regular expression. So you can use |
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666 @samp{\1} through @samp{\9} to refer to the text matched by the |
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667 corresponding grouping constructs. |
6552 | 668 |
669 For example, @samp{\(.*\)\1} matches any newline-free string that is | |
670 composed of two identical halves. The @samp{\(.*\)} matches the first | |
671 half, which may be anything, but the @samp{\1} that follows must match | |
672 the same exact text. | |
673 | |
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674 If a @samp{\( @dots{} \)} construct matches more than once (which can |
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675 happen, for instance, if it is followed by @samp{*}), only the last |
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676 match is recorded. |
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677 |
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678 If a particular grouping construct in the regular expression was never |
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679 matched---for instance, if it appears inside of an alternative that |
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680 wasn't used, or inside of a repetition that repeated zero times---then |
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681 the corresponding @samp{\@var{digit}} construct never matches |
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682 anything. To use an artificial example,, @samp{\(foo\(b*\)\|lose\)\2} |
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683 cannot match @samp{lose}: the second alternative inside the larger |
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684 group matches it, but then @samp{\2} is undefined and can't match |
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685 anything. But it can match @samp{foobb}, because the first |
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686 alternative matches @samp{foob} and @samp{\2} matches @samp{b}. |
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687 |
6552 | 688 @item \w |
689 @cindex @samp{\w} in regexp | |
690 matches any word-constituent character. The editor syntax table | |
691 determines which characters these are. @xref{Syntax Tables}. | |
692 | |
693 @item \W | |
694 @cindex @samp{\W} in regexp | |
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695 matches any character that is not a word constituent. |
6552 | 696 |
697 @item \s@var{code} | |
698 @cindex @samp{\s} in regexp | |
699 matches any character whose syntax is @var{code}. Here @var{code} is a | |
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700 character that represents a syntax code: thus, @samp{w} for word |
6552 | 701 constituent, @samp{-} for whitespace, @samp{(} for open parenthesis, |
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702 etc. To represent whitespace syntax, use either @samp{-} or a space |
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703 character. @xref{Syntax Class Table}, for a list of syntax codes and |
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704 the characters that stand for them. |
6552 | 705 |
706 @item \S@var{code} | |
707 @cindex @samp{\S} in regexp | |
708 matches any character whose syntax is not @var{code}. | |
35796 | 709 |
710 @item \c@var{c} | |
711 matches any character whose category is @var{c}. Here @var{c} is a | |
712 character that represents a category: thus, @samp{c} for Chinese | |
713 characters or @samp{g} for Greek characters in the standard category | |
714 table. | |
715 | |
716 @item \C@var{c} | |
717 matches any character whose category is not @var{c}. | |
6552 | 718 @end table |
719 | |
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720 The following regular expression constructs match the empty string---that is, |
6552 | 721 they don't use up any characters---but whether they match depends on the |
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722 context. For all, the beginning and end of the accessible portion of |
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723 the buffer are treated as if they were the actual beginning and end of |
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724 the buffer. |
6552 | 725 |
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726 @table @samp |
6552 | 727 @item \` |
728 @cindex @samp{\`} in regexp | |
729 matches the empty string, but only at the beginning | |
730 of the buffer or string being matched against. | |
731 | |
732 @item \' | |
733 @cindex @samp{\'} in regexp | |
734 matches the empty string, but only at the end of | |
735 the buffer or string being matched against. | |
736 | |
737 @item \= | |
738 @cindex @samp{\=} in regexp | |
739 matches the empty string, but only at point. | |
740 (This construct is not defined when matching against a string.) | |
741 | |
742 @item \b | |
743 @cindex @samp{\b} in regexp | |
744 matches the empty string, but only at the beginning or | |
745 end of a word. Thus, @samp{\bfoo\b} matches any occurrence of | |
746 @samp{foo} as a separate word. @samp{\bballs?\b} matches | |
747 @samp{ball} or @samp{balls} as a separate word.@refill | |
748 | |
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749 @samp{\b} matches at the beginning or end of the buffer (or string) |
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750 regardless of what text appears next to it. |
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751 |
6552 | 752 @item \B |
753 @cindex @samp{\B} in regexp | |
754 matches the empty string, but @emph{not} at the beginning or | |
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755 end of a word, nor at the beginning or end of the buffer (or string). |
6552 | 756 |
757 @item \< | |
758 @cindex @samp{\<} in regexp | |
759 matches the empty string, but only at the beginning of a word. | |
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760 @samp{\<} matches at the beginning of the buffer (or string) only if a |
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761 word-constituent character follows. |
6552 | 762 |
763 @item \> | |
764 @cindex @samp{\>} in regexp | |
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765 matches the empty string, but only at the end of a word. @samp{\>} |
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766 matches at the end of the buffer (or string) only if the contents end |
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767 with a word-constituent character. |
56439
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768 |
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769 @item \_< |
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770 @cindex @samp{\_<} in regexp |
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771 matches the empty string, but only at the beginning of a symbol. A |
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772 symbol is a sequence of one or more word or symbol constituent |
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773 characters. @samp{\_<} matches at the beginning of the buffer (or |
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774 string) only if a symbol-constituent character follows. |
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775 |
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776 @item \_> |
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777 @cindex @samp{\_>} in regexp |
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778 matches the empty string, but only at the end of a symbol. @samp{\_>} |
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779 matches at the end of the buffer (or string) only if the contents end |
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780 with a symbol-constituent character. |
6552 | 781 @end table |
782 | |
783 @kindex invalid-regexp | |
784 Not every string is a valid regular expression. For example, a string | |
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785 that ends inside a character alternative without terminating @samp{]} |
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786 is invalid, and so is a string that ends with a single @samp{\}. If |
6552 | 787 an invalid regular expression is passed to any of the search functions, |
788 an @code{invalid-regexp} error is signaled. | |
789 | |
790 @node Regexp Example | |
791 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
792 @subsection Complex Regexp Example | |
793 | |
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794 Here is a complicated regexp which was formerly used by Emacs to |
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795 recognize the end of a sentence together with any whitespace that |
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796 follows. (Nowadays Emacs uses a similar but more complex default |
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797 regexp constructed by the function @code{sentence-end}. |
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798 @xref{Standard Regexps}.) |
6552 | 799 |
800 First, we show the regexp as a string in Lisp syntax to distinguish | |
801 spaces from tab characters. The string constant begins and ends with a | |
802 double-quote. @samp{\"} stands for a double-quote as part of the | |
803 string, @samp{\\} for a backslash as part of the string, @samp{\t} for a | |
804 tab and @samp{\n} for a newline. | |
805 | |
806 @example | |
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807 "[.?!][]\"')@}]*\\($\\| $\\|\t\\|@ @ \\)[ \t\n]*" |
6552 | 808 @end example |
809 | |
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810 @noindent |
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811 In contrast, if you evaluate this string, you will see the following: |
6552 | 812 |
813 @example | |
814 @group | |
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815 "[.?!][]\"')@}]*\\($\\| $\\|\t\\|@ @ \\)[ \t\n]*" |
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816 @result{} "[.?!][]\"')@}]*\\($\\| $\\| \\|@ @ \\)[ |
6552 | 817 ]*" |
818 @end group | |
819 @end example | |
820 | |
821 @noindent | |
822 In this output, tab and newline appear as themselves. | |
823 | |
824 This regular expression contains four parts in succession and can be | |
825 deciphered as follows: | |
826 | |
827 @table @code | |
828 @item [.?!] | |
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829 The first part of the pattern is a character alternative that matches |
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830 any one of three characters: period, question mark, and exclamation |
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831 mark. The match must begin with one of these three characters. (This |
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832 is one point where the new default regexp used by Emacs differs from |
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833 the old. The new value also allows some non-@acronym{ASCII} |
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834 characters that end a sentence without any following whitespace.) |
6552 | 835 |
836 @item []\"')@}]* | |
837 The second part of the pattern matches any closing braces and quotation | |
838 marks, zero or more of them, that may follow the period, question mark | |
839 or exclamation mark. The @code{\"} is Lisp syntax for a double-quote in | |
840 a string. The @samp{*} at the end indicates that the immediately | |
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841 preceding regular expression (a character alternative, in this case) may be |
6552 | 842 repeated zero or more times. |
843 | |
8469 | 844 @item \\($\\|@ $\\|\t\\|@ @ \\) |
6552 | 845 The third part of the pattern matches the whitespace that follows the |
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846 end of a sentence: the end of a line (optionally with a space), or a |
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847 tab, or two spaces. The double backslashes mark the parentheses and |
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848 vertical bars as regular expression syntax; the parentheses delimit a |
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849 group and the vertical bars separate alternatives. The dollar sign is |
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850 used to match the end of a line. |
6552 | 851 |
852 @item [ \t\n]* | |
853 Finally, the last part of the pattern matches any additional whitespace | |
854 beyond the minimum needed to end a sentence. | |
855 @end table | |
856 | |
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857 @node Regexp Functions |
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858 @subsection Regular Expression Functions |
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859 |
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860 These functions operate on regular expressions. |
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861 |
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862 @defun regexp-quote string |
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863 This function returns a regular expression whose only exact match is |
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864 @var{string}. Using this regular expression in @code{looking-at} will |
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865 succeed only if the next characters in the buffer are @var{string}; |
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866 using it in a search function will succeed if the text being searched |
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867 contains @var{string}. |
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868 |
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869 This allows you to request an exact string match or search when calling |
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870 a function that wants a regular expression. |
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871 |
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872 @example |
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873 @group |
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874 (regexp-quote "^The cat$") |
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875 @result{} "\\^The cat\\$" |
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876 @end group |
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877 @end example |
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878 |
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879 One use of @code{regexp-quote} is to combine an exact string match with |
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880 context described as a regular expression. For example, this searches |
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881 for the string that is the value of @var{string}, surrounded by |
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882 whitespace: |
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883 |
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884 @example |
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885 @group |
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886 (re-search-forward |
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887 (concat "\\s-" (regexp-quote string) "\\s-")) |
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888 @end group |
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889 @end example |
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890 @end defun |
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891 |
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892 @defun regexp-opt strings &optional paren |
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893 This function returns an efficient regular expression that will match |
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894 any of the strings in the list @var{strings}. This is useful when you |
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895 need to make matching or searching as fast as possible---for example, |
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896 for Font Lock mode. |
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897 |
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898 If the optional argument @var{paren} is non-@code{nil}, then the |
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899 returned regular expression is always enclosed by at least one |
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900 parentheses-grouping construct. If @var{paren} is @code{words}, then |
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901 that construct is additionally surrounded by @samp{\<} and @samp{\>}. |
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902 |
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903 This simplified definition of @code{regexp-opt} produces a |
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904 regular expression which is equivalent to the actual value |
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905 (but not as efficient): |
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906 |
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907 @example |
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908 (defun regexp-opt (strings paren) |
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909 (let ((open-paren (if paren "\\(" "")) |
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910 (close-paren (if paren "\\)" ""))) |
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911 (concat open-paren |
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912 (mapconcat 'regexp-quote strings "\\|") |
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913 close-paren))) |
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914 @end example |
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915 @end defun |
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916 |
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917 @defun regexp-opt-depth regexp |
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918 This function returns the total number of grouping constructs |
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919 (parenthesized expressions) in @var{regexp}. (This does not include |
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920 shy groups.) |
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921 @end defun |
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922 |
6552 | 923 @node Regexp Search |
924 @section Regular Expression Searching | |
925 @cindex regular expression searching | |
926 @cindex regexp searching | |
927 @cindex searching for regexp | |
928 | |
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929 In GNU Emacs, you can search for the next match for a regular |
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930 expression either incrementally or not. For incremental search |
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931 commands, see @ref{Regexp Search, , Regular Expression Search, emacs, |
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932 The GNU Emacs Manual}. Here we describe only the search functions |
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933 useful in programs. The principal one is @code{re-search-forward}. |
6552 | 934 |
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935 These search functions convert the regular expression to multibyte if |
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936 the buffer is multibyte; they convert the regular expression to unibyte |
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937 if the buffer is unibyte. @xref{Text Representations}. |
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938 |
6552 | 939 @deffn Command re-search-forward regexp &optional limit noerror repeat |
940 This function searches forward in the current buffer for a string of | |
941 text that is matched by the regular expression @var{regexp}. The | |
942 function skips over any amount of text that is not matched by | |
943 @var{regexp}, and leaves point at the end of the first match found. | |
944 It returns the new value of point. | |
945 | |
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946 If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, it must be a position in the current |
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947 buffer. It specifies the upper bound to the search. No match |
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948 extending after that position is accepted. |
6552 | 949 |
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950 If @var{repeat} is supplied, it must be a positive number; the search |
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951 is repeated that many times; each repetition starts at the end of the |
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952 previous match. If all these successive searches succeed, the search |
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953 succeeds, moving point and returning its new value. Otherwise the |
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954 search fails. What @code{re-search-forward} does when the search |
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955 fails depends on the value of @var{noerror}: |
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956 |
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957 @table @asis |
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958 @item @code{nil} |
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959 Signal a @code{search-failed} error. |
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960 @item @code{t} |
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961 Do nothing and return @code{nil}. |
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962 @item anything else |
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963 Move point to @var{limit} (or the end of the accessible portion of the |
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964 buffer) and return @code{nil}. |
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965 @end table |
6552 | 966 |
967 In the following example, point is initially before the @samp{T}. | |
968 Evaluating the search call moves point to the end of that line (between | |
969 the @samp{t} of @samp{hat} and the newline). | |
970 | |
971 @example | |
972 @group | |
973 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
974 I read "@point{}The cat in the hat | |
975 comes back" twice. | |
976 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
977 @end group | |
978 | |
979 @group | |
980 (re-search-forward "[a-z]+" nil t 5) | |
981 @result{} 27 | |
982 | |
983 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
984 I read "The cat in the hat@point{} | |
985 comes back" twice. | |
986 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
987 @end group | |
988 @end example | |
989 @end deffn | |
990 | |
991 @deffn Command re-search-backward regexp &optional limit noerror repeat | |
992 This function searches backward in the current buffer for a string of | |
993 text that is matched by the regular expression @var{regexp}, leaving | |
994 point at the beginning of the first text found. | |
995 | |
8469 | 996 This function is analogous to @code{re-search-forward}, but they are not |
997 simple mirror images. @code{re-search-forward} finds the match whose | |
998 beginning is as close as possible to the starting point. If | |
999 @code{re-search-backward} were a perfect mirror image, it would find the | |
1000 match whose end is as close as possible. However, in fact it finds the | |
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1001 match whose beginning is as close as possible (and yet ends before the |
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1002 starting point). The reason for this is that matching a regular |
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1003 expression at a given spot always works from beginning to end, and |
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1004 starts at a specified beginning position. |
6552 | 1005 |
1006 A true mirror-image of @code{re-search-forward} would require a special | |
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1007 feature for matching regular expressions from end to beginning. It's |
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1008 not worth the trouble of implementing that. |
6552 | 1009 @end deffn |
1010 | |
1011 @defun string-match regexp string &optional start | |
1012 This function returns the index of the start of the first match for | |
1013 the regular expression @var{regexp} in @var{string}, or @code{nil} if | |
1014 there is no match. If @var{start} is non-@code{nil}, the search starts | |
1015 at that index in @var{string}. | |
1016 | |
1017 For example, | |
1018 | |
1019 @example | |
1020 @group | |
1021 (string-match | |
1022 "quick" "The quick brown fox jumped quickly.") | |
1023 @result{} 4 | |
1024 @end group | |
1025 @group | |
1026 (string-match | |
1027 "quick" "The quick brown fox jumped quickly." 8) | |
1028 @result{} 27 | |
1029 @end group | |
1030 @end example | |
1031 | |
1032 @noindent | |
1033 The index of the first character of the | |
1034 string is 0, the index of the second character is 1, and so on. | |
1035 | |
1036 After this function returns, the index of the first character beyond | |
1037 the match is available as @code{(match-end 0)}. @xref{Match Data}. | |
1038 | |
1039 @example | |
1040 @group | |
1041 (string-match | |
1042 "quick" "The quick brown fox jumped quickly." 8) | |
1043 @result{} 27 | |
1044 @end group | |
1045 | |
1046 @group | |
1047 (match-end 0) | |
1048 @result{} 32 | |
1049 @end group | |
1050 @end example | |
1051 @end defun | |
1052 | |
1053 @defun looking-at regexp | |
1054 This function determines whether the text in the current buffer directly | |
1055 following point matches the regular expression @var{regexp}. ``Directly | |
1056 following'' means precisely that: the search is ``anchored'' and it can | |
1057 succeed only starting with the first character following point. The | |
1058 result is @code{t} if so, @code{nil} otherwise. | |
1059 | |
1060 This function does not move point, but it updates the match data, which | |
1061 you can access using @code{match-beginning} and @code{match-end}. | |
1062 @xref{Match Data}. | |
1063 | |
1064 In this example, point is located directly before the @samp{T}. If it | |
1065 were anywhere else, the result would be @code{nil}. | |
1066 | |
1067 @example | |
1068 @group | |
1069 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
1070 I read "@point{}The cat in the hat | |
1071 comes back" twice. | |
1072 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
1073 | |
1074 (looking-at "The cat in the hat$") | |
1075 @result{} t | |
1076 @end group | |
1077 @end example | |
1078 @end defun | |
1079 | |
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1080 @defun looking-back regexp &optional limit |
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1081 This function returns @code{t} if @var{regexp} matches text before |
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1082 point, ending at point, and @code{nil} otherwise. |
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1083 |
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1084 Because regular expression matching works only going forward, this is |
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1085 implemented by searching backwards from point for a match that ends at |
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1086 point. That can be quite slow if it has to search a long distance. |
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1087 You can bound the time required by specifying @var{limit}, which says |
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1088 not to search before @var{limit}. In this case, the match that is |
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1089 found must begin at or after @var{limit}. |
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1090 |
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1091 @example |
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1092 @group |
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1093 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- |
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1094 I read "@point{}The cat in the hat |
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1095 comes back" twice. |
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1096 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- |
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1097 |
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1098 (looking-back "read \"" 3) |
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1099 @result{} t |
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1100 (looking-back "read \"" 4) |
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1101 @result{} nil |
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1102 @end group |
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1103 @end example |
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1104 @end defun |
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1105 |
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1106 @defvar search-spaces-regexp |
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1107 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression |
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1108 that says how to search for whitespace. In that case, any group of |
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1109 spaces in a regular expression being searched for stands for use of |
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1110 this regular expression. However, spaces inside of constructs such as |
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1111 @samp{[@dots{}]} and @samp{*}, @samp{+}, @samp{?} are not affected by |
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1112 @code{search-spaces-regexp}. |
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1113 |
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1114 Since this variable affects all regular expression search and match |
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1115 constructs, you should bind it temporarily for as small as possible |
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1116 a part of the code. |
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1117 @end defvar |
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1118 |
12067 | 1119 @node POSIX Regexps |
1120 @section POSIX Regular Expression Searching | |
1121 | |
1122 The usual regular expression functions do backtracking when necessary | |
1123 to handle the @samp{\|} and repetition constructs, but they continue | |
1124 this only until they find @emph{some} match. Then they succeed and | |
1125 report the first match found. | |
1126 | |
1127 This section describes alternative search functions which perform the | |
1128 full backtracking specified by the POSIX standard for regular expression | |
1129 matching. They continue backtracking until they have tried all | |
1130 possibilities and found all matches, so they can report the longest | |
1131 match, as required by POSIX. This is much slower, so use these | |
1132 functions only when you really need the longest match. | |
1133 | |
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1134 The POSIX search and match functions do not properly support the |
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1135 non-greedy repetition operators. This is because POSIX backtracking |
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1136 conflicts with the semantics of non-greedy repetition. |
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1137 |
12067 | 1138 @defun posix-search-forward regexp &optional limit noerror repeat |
1139 This is like @code{re-search-forward} except that it performs the full | |
1140 backtracking specified by the POSIX standard for regular expression | |
1141 matching. | |
1142 @end defun | |
1143 | |
1144 @defun posix-search-backward regexp &optional limit noerror repeat | |
1145 This is like @code{re-search-backward} except that it performs the full | |
1146 backtracking specified by the POSIX standard for regular expression | |
1147 matching. | |
1148 @end defun | |
1149 | |
1150 @defun posix-looking-at regexp | |
1151 This is like @code{looking-at} except that it performs the full | |
1152 backtracking specified by the POSIX standard for regular expression | |
1153 matching. | |
1154 @end defun | |
1155 | |
1156 @defun posix-string-match regexp string &optional start | |
1157 This is like @code{string-match} except that it performs the full | |
1158 backtracking specified by the POSIX standard for regular expression | |
1159 matching. | |
1160 @end defun | |
1161 | |
6552 | 1162 @node Match Data |
1163 @section The Match Data | |
1164 @cindex match data | |
1165 | |
25089 | 1166 Emacs keeps track of the start and end positions of the segments of |
65182
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1167 text found during a search; this is called the @dfn{match data}. |
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1168 Thanks to the match data, you can search for a complex pattern, such |
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1169 as a date in a mail message, and then extract parts of the match under |
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1170 control of the pattern. |
6552 | 1171 |
1172 Because the match data normally describe the most recent search only, | |
1173 you must be careful not to do another search inadvertently between the | |
1174 search you wish to refer back to and the use of the match data. If you | |
1175 can't avoid another intervening search, you must save and restore the | |
1176 match data around it, to prevent it from being overwritten. | |
1177 | |
1178 @menu | |
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1179 * Replacing Match:: Replacing a substring that was matched. |
6552 | 1180 * Simple Match Data:: Accessing single items of match data, |
1181 such as where a particular subexpression started. | |
1182 * Entire Match Data:: Accessing the entire match data at once, as a list. | |
1183 * Saving Match Data:: Saving and restoring the match data. | |
1184 @end menu | |
1185 | |
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1186 @node Replacing Match |
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1187 @subsection Replacing the Text that Matched |
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1188 @cindex replace matched text |
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1189 |
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1190 This function replaces all or part of the text matched by the last |
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1191 search. It works by means of the match data. |
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1192 |
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1193 @cindex case in replacements |
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1194 @defun replace-match replacement &optional fixedcase literal string subexp |
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1195 This function replaces the text in the buffer (or in @var{string}) that |
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1196 was matched by the last search. It replaces that text with |
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1197 @var{replacement}. |
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1198 |
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1199 If you did the last search in a buffer, you should specify @code{nil} |
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1200 for @var{string} and make sure that the current buffer when you call |
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1201 @code{replace-match} is the one in which you did the searching or |
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1202 matching. Then @code{replace-match} does the replacement by editing |
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1203 the buffer; it leaves point at the end of the replacement text, and |
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1204 returns @code{t}. |
21682
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1205 |
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1206 If you did the search in a string, pass the same string as @var{string}. |
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1207 Then @code{replace-match} does the replacement by constructing and |
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1208 returning a new string. |
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1209 |
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1210 If @var{fixedcase} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{replace-match} uses |
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1211 the replacement text without case conversion; otherwise, it converts |
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1212 the replacement text depending upon the capitalization of the text to |
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1213 be replaced. If the original text is all upper case, this converts |
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1214 the replacement text to upper case. If all words of the original text |
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1215 are capitalized, this capitalizes all the words of the replacement |
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1216 text. If all the words are one-letter and they are all upper case, |
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1217 they are treated as capitalized words rather than all-upper-case |
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1218 words. |
21682
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1219 |
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1220 If @var{literal} is non-@code{nil}, then @var{replacement} is inserted |
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1221 exactly as it is, the only alterations being case changes as needed. |
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1222 If it is @code{nil} (the default), then the character @samp{\} is treated |
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1223 specially. If a @samp{\} appears in @var{replacement}, then it must be |
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1224 part of one of the following sequences: |
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1225 |
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1226 @table @asis |
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1227 @item @samp{\&} |
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1228 @cindex @samp{&} in replacement |
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1229 @samp{\&} stands for the entire text being replaced. |
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1230 |
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1231 @item @samp{\@var{n}} |
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1232 @cindex @samp{\@var{n}} in replacement |
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1233 @samp{\@var{n}}, where @var{n} is a digit, stands for the text that |
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1234 matched the @var{n}th subexpression in the original regexp. |
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1235 Subexpressions are those expressions grouped inside @samp{\(@dots{}\)}. |
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1236 If the @var{n}th subexpression never matched, an empty string is substituted. |
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1237 |
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1238 @item @samp{\\} |
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1239 @cindex @samp{\} in replacement |
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1240 @samp{\\} stands for a single @samp{\} in the replacement text. |
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1241 @end table |
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1242 |
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1243 These substitutions occur after case conversion, if any, |
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1244 so the strings they substitute are never case-converted. |
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1245 |
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1246 If @var{subexp} is non-@code{nil}, that says to replace just |
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1247 subexpression number @var{subexp} of the regexp that was matched, not |
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1248 the entire match. For example, after matching @samp{foo \(ba*r\)}, |
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1249 calling @code{replace-match} with 1 as @var{subexp} means to replace |
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1250 just the text that matched @samp{\(ba*r\)}. |
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1251 @end defun |
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1252 |
6552 | 1253 @node Simple Match Data |
1254 @subsection Simple Match Data Access | |
1255 | |
12067 | 1256 This section explains how to use the match data to find out what was |
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1257 matched by the last search or match operation, if it succeeded. |
12067 | 1258 |
1259 You can ask about the entire matching text, or about a particular | |
1260 parenthetical subexpression of a regular expression. The @var{count} | |
1261 argument in the functions below specifies which. If @var{count} is | |
1262 zero, you are asking about the entire match. If @var{count} is | |
1263 positive, it specifies which subexpression you want. | |
1264 | |
1265 Recall that the subexpressions of a regular expression are those | |
1266 expressions grouped with escaped parentheses, @samp{\(@dots{}\)}. The | |
1267 @var{count}th subexpression is found by counting occurrences of | |
1268 @samp{\(} from the beginning of the whole regular expression. The first | |
1269 subexpression is numbered 1, the second 2, and so on. Only regular | |
1270 expressions can have subexpressions---after a simple string search, the | |
1271 only information available is about the entire match. | |
1272 | |
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(Simple Match Data): Warn about match data being set anew by every search.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents:
70692
diff
changeset
|
1273 Every successful search sets the match data. Therefore, you should |
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(Simple Match Data): Warn about match data being set anew by every search.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents:
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diff
changeset
|
1274 query the match data immediately after searching, before calling any |
0e29340d15dc
(Simple Match Data): Warn about match data being set anew by every search.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents:
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diff
changeset
|
1275 other function that might perform another search. Alternatively, you |
0e29340d15dc
(Simple Match Data): Warn about match data being set anew by every search.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents:
70692
diff
changeset
|
1276 may save and restore the match data (@pxref{Saving Match Data}) around |
0e29340d15dc
(Simple Match Data): Warn about match data being set anew by every search.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents:
70692
diff
changeset
|
1277 the call to functions that could perform another search. |
0e29340d15dc
(Simple Match Data): Warn about match data being set anew by every search.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents:
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diff
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|
1278 |
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parents:
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|
1279 A search which fails may or may not alter the match data. In the |
d4ac295a98b3
*** empty log message ***
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parents:
21682
diff
changeset
|
1280 past, a failing search did not do this, but we may change it in the |
49809
4556482b5d22
Clarify that match data is unpredictable after failing searches.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
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diff
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|
1281 future. So don't try to rely on the value of the match data after |
4556482b5d22
Clarify that match data is unpredictable after failing searches.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
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|
1282 a failing search. |
22138
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|
1283 |
12067 | 1284 @defun match-string count &optional in-string |
1285 This function returns, as a string, the text matched in the last search | |
1286 or match operation. It returns the entire text if @var{count} is zero, | |
1287 or just the portion corresponding to the @var{count}th parenthetical | |
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Explain clearly what \digit does when that grouping
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parents:
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diff
changeset
|
1288 subexpression, if @var{count} is positive. |
12067 | 1289 |
1290 If the last such operation was done against a string with | |
1291 @code{string-match}, then you should pass the same string as the | |
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Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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|
1292 argument @var{in-string}. After a buffer search or match, |
12067 | 1293 you should omit @var{in-string} or pass @code{nil} for it; but you |
1294 should make sure that the current buffer when you call | |
1295 @code{match-string} is the one in which you did the searching or | |
1296 matching. | |
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Explain clearly what \digit does when that grouping
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|
1297 |
f0bfa8a7d472
Explain clearly what \digit does when that grouping
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|
1298 The value is @code{nil} if @var{count} is out of range, or for a |
f0bfa8a7d472
Explain clearly what \digit does when that grouping
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
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diff
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|
1299 subexpression inside a @samp{\|} alternative that wasn't used or a |
f0bfa8a7d472
Explain clearly what \digit does when that grouping
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changeset
|
1300 repetition that repeated zero times. |
12067 | 1301 @end defun |
6552 | 1302 |
26288 | 1303 @defun match-string-no-properties count &optional in-string |
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|
1304 This function is like @code{match-string} except that the result |
66d807bdc5b4
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|
1305 has no text properties. |
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1306 @end defun |
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|
1307 |
6552 | 1308 @defun match-beginning count |
1309 This function returns the position of the start of text matched by the | |
1310 last regular expression searched for, or a subexpression of it. | |
1311 | |
8469 | 1312 If @var{count} is zero, then the value is the position of the start of |
12125
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updates for version 19.29.
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parents:
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1313 the entire match. Otherwise, @var{count} specifies a subexpression in |
21682
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|
1314 the regular expression, and the value of the function is the starting |
12067 | 1315 position of the match for that subexpression. |
6552 | 1316 |
12067 | 1317 The value is @code{nil} for a subexpression inside a @samp{\|} |
39166
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Explain clearly what \digit does when that grouping
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
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|
1318 alternative that wasn't used or a repetition that repeated zero times. |
6552 | 1319 @end defun |
1320 | |
1321 @defun match-end count | |
12067 | 1322 This function is like @code{match-beginning} except that it returns the |
1323 position of the end of the match, rather than the position of the | |
1324 beginning. | |
6552 | 1325 @end defun |
1326 | |
1327 Here is an example of using the match data, with a comment showing the | |
1328 positions within the text: | |
1329 | |
1330 @example | |
1331 @group | |
1332 (string-match "\\(qu\\)\\(ick\\)" | |
1333 "The quick fox jumped quickly.") | |
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Trailing whitespace deleted.
Juanma Barranquero <lekktu@gmail.com>
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|
1334 ;0123456789 |
6552 | 1335 @result{} 4 |
1336 @end group | |
1337 | |
1338 @group | |
12067 | 1339 (match-string 0 "The quick fox jumped quickly.") |
1340 @result{} "quick" | |
1341 (match-string 1 "The quick fox jumped quickly.") | |
1342 @result{} "qu" | |
1343 (match-string 2 "The quick fox jumped quickly.") | |
1344 @result{} "ick" | |
1345 @end group | |
1346 | |
1347 @group | |
6552 | 1348 (match-beginning 1) ; @r{The beginning of the match} |
1349 @result{} 4 ; @r{with @samp{qu} is at index 4.} | |
1350 @end group | |
1351 | |
1352 @group | |
1353 (match-beginning 2) ; @r{The beginning of the match} | |
1354 @result{} 6 ; @r{with @samp{ick} is at index 6.} | |
1355 @end group | |
1356 | |
1357 @group | |
1358 (match-end 1) ; @r{The end of the match} | |
1359 @result{} 6 ; @r{with @samp{qu} is at index 6.} | |
1360 | |
1361 (match-end 2) ; @r{The end of the match} | |
1362 @result{} 9 ; @r{with @samp{ick} is at index 9.} | |
1363 @end group | |
1364 @end example | |
1365 | |
1366 Here is another example. Point is initially located at the beginning | |
1367 of the line. Searching moves point to between the space and the word | |
1368 @samp{in}. The beginning of the entire match is at the 9th character of | |
1369 the buffer (@samp{T}), and the beginning of the match for the first | |
1370 subexpression is at the 13th character (@samp{c}). | |
1371 | |
1372 @example | |
1373 @group | |
1374 (list | |
1375 (re-search-forward "The \\(cat \\)") | |
1376 (match-beginning 0) | |
1377 (match-beginning 1)) | |
8469 | 1378 @result{} (9 9 13) |
6552 | 1379 @end group |
1380 | |
1381 @group | |
1382 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
1383 I read "The cat @point{}in the hat comes back" twice. | |
1384 ^ ^ | |
1385 9 13 | |
1386 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
1387 @end group | |
1388 @end example | |
1389 | |
1390 @noindent | |
1391 (In this case, the index returned is a buffer position; the first | |
1392 character of the buffer counts as 1.) | |
1393 | |
1394 @node Entire Match Data | |
1395 @subsection Accessing the Entire Match Data | |
1396 | |
1397 The functions @code{match-data} and @code{set-match-data} read or | |
1398 write the entire match data, all at once. | |
1399 | |
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(Entire Match Data): Explain new `reseat' argument to
Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk>
parents:
63135
diff
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|
1400 @defun match-data &optional integers reuse reseat |
63135
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
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parents:
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|
1401 This function returns a list of positions (markers or integers) that |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
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|
1402 record all the information on what text the last search matched. |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
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diff
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|
1403 Element zero is the position of the beginning of the match for the |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1404 whole expression; element one is the position of the end of the match |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1405 for the expression. The next two elements are the positions of the |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1406 beginning and end of the match for the first subexpression, and so on. |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
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|
1407 In general, element |
27193 | 1408 @ifnottex |
6552 | 1409 number 2@var{n} |
27193 | 1410 @end ifnottex |
6552 | 1411 @tex |
1412 number {\mathsurround=0pt $2n$} | |
1413 @end tex | |
1414 corresponds to @code{(match-beginning @var{n})}; and | |
1415 element | |
27193 | 1416 @ifnottex |
6552 | 1417 number 2@var{n} + 1 |
27193 | 1418 @end ifnottex |
6552 | 1419 @tex |
1420 number {\mathsurround=0pt $2n+1$} | |
1421 @end tex | |
1422 corresponds to @code{(match-end @var{n})}. | |
1423 | |
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ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
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diff
changeset
|
1424 Normally all the elements are markers or @code{nil}, but if |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1425 @var{integers} is non-@code{nil}, that means to use integers instead |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1426 of markers. (In that case, the buffer itself is appended as an |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1427 additional element at the end of the list, to facilitate complete |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1428 restoration of the match data.) If the last match was done on a |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1429 string with @code{string-match}, then integers are always used, |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1430 since markers can't point into a string. |
53568
a93ed629b104
Various small changes in addition to the following.
Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@auburn.edu>
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changeset
|
1431 |
a93ed629b104
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Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@auburn.edu>
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diff
changeset
|
1432 If @var{reuse} is non-@code{nil}, it should be a list. In that case, |
a93ed629b104
Various small changes in addition to the following.
Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@auburn.edu>
parents:
52978
diff
changeset
|
1433 @code{match-data} stores the match data in @var{reuse}. That is, |
a93ed629b104
Various small changes in addition to the following.
Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@auburn.edu>
parents:
52978
diff
changeset
|
1434 @var{reuse} is destructively modified. @var{reuse} does not need to |
a93ed629b104
Various small changes in addition to the following.
Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@auburn.edu>
parents:
52978
diff
changeset
|
1435 have the right length. If it is not long enough to contain the match |
a93ed629b104
Various small changes in addition to the following.
Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@auburn.edu>
parents:
52978
diff
changeset
|
1436 data, it is extended. If it is too long, the length of @var{reuse} |
a93ed629b104
Various small changes in addition to the following.
Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@auburn.edu>
parents:
52978
diff
changeset
|
1437 stays the same, but the elements that were not used are set to |
63135
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1438 @code{nil}. The purpose of this feature is to reduce the need for |
ade1be8b63fd
(Entire Match Data): Clarify when match-data
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
60678
diff
changeset
|
1439 garbage collection. |
6552 | 1440 |
63153
286783f742e6
(Entire Match Data): Explain new `reseat' argument to
Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk>
parents:
63135
diff
changeset
|
1441 If @var{reseat} is non-@code{nil}, all markers on the @var{reuse} list |
63663
c4d74e911908
(Entire Match Data): Remove evaporate option for
Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk>
parents:
63583
diff
changeset
|
1442 are reseated to point to nowhere. |
63153
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(Entire Match Data): Explain new `reseat' argument to
Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk>
parents:
63135
diff
changeset
|
1443 |
6552 | 1444 As always, there must be no possibility of intervening searches between |
1445 the call to a search function and the call to @code{match-data} that is | |
1446 intended to access the match data for that search. | |
1447 | |
1448 @example | |
1449 @group | |
1450 (match-data) | |
1451 @result{} (#<marker at 9 in foo> | |
1452 #<marker at 17 in foo> | |
1453 #<marker at 13 in foo> | |
1454 #<marker at 17 in foo>) | |
1455 @end group | |
1456 @end example | |
1457 @end defun | |
1458 | |
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286783f742e6
(Entire Match Data): Explain new `reseat' argument to
Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk>
parents:
63135
diff
changeset
|
1459 @defun set-match-data match-list &optional reseat |
6552 | 1460 This function sets the match data from the elements of @var{match-list}, |
1461 which should be a list that was the value of a previous call to | |
41939
e9a4c1f03019
Minor clarifications for search-forward and set-match-data.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
39166
diff
changeset
|
1462 @code{match-data}. (More precisely, anything that has the same format |
e9a4c1f03019
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Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
39166
diff
changeset
|
1463 will work.) |
6552 | 1464 |
1465 If @var{match-list} refers to a buffer that doesn't exist, you don't get | |
1466 an error; that sets the match data in a meaningless but harmless way. | |
1467 | |
63153
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(Entire Match Data): Explain new `reseat' argument to
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parents:
63135
diff
changeset
|
1468 If @var{reseat} is non-@code{nil}, all markers on the @var{match-list} list |
63663
c4d74e911908
(Entire Match Data): Remove evaporate option for
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parents:
63583
diff
changeset
|
1469 are reseated to point to nowhere. |
63153
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(Entire Match Data): Explain new `reseat' argument to
Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk>
parents:
63135
diff
changeset
|
1470 |
6552 | 1471 @findex store-match-data |
21682
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*** empty log message ***
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
21007
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changeset
|
1472 @code{store-match-data} is a semi-obsolete alias for @code{set-match-data}. |
6552 | 1473 @end defun |
1474 | |
1475 @node Saving Match Data | |
1476 @subsection Saving and Restoring the Match Data | |
1477 | |
10038
6b8e51b286c6
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Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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diff
changeset
|
1478 When you call a function that may do a search, you may need to save |
6b8e51b286c6
Filters and sentinels now save match data themselves.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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8469
diff
changeset
|
1479 and restore the match data around that call, if you want to preserve the |
6b8e51b286c6
Filters and sentinels now save match data themselves.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
8469
diff
changeset
|
1480 match data from an earlier search for later use. Here is an example |
6b8e51b286c6
Filters and sentinels now save match data themselves.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
8469
diff
changeset
|
1481 that shows the problem that arises if you fail to save the match data: |
6552 | 1482 |
1483 @example | |
1484 @group | |
1485 (re-search-forward "The \\(cat \\)") | |
1486 @result{} 48 | |
1487 (foo) ; @r{Perhaps @code{foo} does} | |
1488 ; @r{more searching.} | |
1489 (match-end 0) | |
1490 @result{} 61 ; @r{Unexpected result---not 48!} | |
1491 @end group | |
1492 @end example | |
1493 | |
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6b8e51b286c6
Filters and sentinels now save match data themselves.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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8469
diff
changeset
|
1494 You can save and restore the match data with @code{save-match-data}: |
6552 | 1495 |
12098 | 1496 @defmac save-match-data body@dots{} |
22252
40089afa2b1d
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22138
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changeset
|
1497 This macro executes @var{body}, saving and restoring the match |
53568
a93ed629b104
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Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@auburn.edu>
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52978
diff
changeset
|
1498 data around it. The return value is the value of the last form in |
a93ed629b104
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52978
diff
changeset
|
1499 @var{body}. |
12098 | 1500 @end defmac |
6552 | 1501 |
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*** empty log message ***
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|
1502 You could use @code{set-match-data} together with @code{match-data} to |
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changeset
|
1503 imitate the effect of the special form @code{save-match-data}. Here is |
90da2489c498
*** empty log message ***
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21007
diff
changeset
|
1504 how: |
6552 | 1505 |
1506 @example | |
1507 @group | |
1508 (let ((data (match-data))) | |
1509 (unwind-protect | |
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|
1510 @dots{} ; @r{Ok to change the original match data.} |
6552 | 1511 (set-match-data data))) |
1512 @end group | |
1513 @end example | |
1514 | |
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Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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8469
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|
1515 Emacs automatically saves and restores the match data when it runs |
6b8e51b286c6
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Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents:
8469
diff
changeset
|
1516 process filter functions (@pxref{Filter Functions}) and process |
6b8e51b286c6
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Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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8469
diff
changeset
|
1517 sentinels (@pxref{Sentinels}). |
6b8e51b286c6
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Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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8469
diff
changeset
|
1518 |
6552 | 1519 @ignore |
1520 Here is a function which restores the match data provided the buffer | |
1521 associated with it still exists. | |
1522 | |
1523 @smallexample | |
1524 @group | |
1525 (defun restore-match-data (data) | |
1526 @c It is incorrect to split the first line of a doc string. | |
1527 @c If there's a problem here, it should be solved in some other way. | |
1528 "Restore the match data DATA unless the buffer is missing." | |
1529 (catch 'foo | |
1530 (let ((d data)) | |
1531 @end group | |
1532 (while d | |
1533 (and (car d) | |
1534 (null (marker-buffer (car d))) | |
1535 @group | |
1536 ;; @file{match-data} @r{buffer is deleted.} | |
1537 (throw 'foo nil)) | |
1538 (setq d (cdr d))) | |
1539 (set-match-data data)))) | |
1540 @end group | |
1541 @end smallexample | |
1542 @end ignore | |
1543 | |
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1544 @node Search and Replace |
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1545 @section Search and Replace |
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1546 @cindex replacement after search |
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1547 @cindex searching and replacing |
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1548 |
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1549 If you want to find all matches for a regexp in part of the buffer, |
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1550 and replace them, the best way is to write an explicit loop using |
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1551 @code{re-search-forward} and @code{replace-match}, like this: |
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1552 |
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|
1553 @example |
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|
1554 (while (re-search-forward "foo[ \t]+bar" nil t) |
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1555 (replace-match "foobar")) |
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1556 @end example |
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|
1557 |
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|
1558 @noindent |
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1559 @xref{Replacing Match,, Replacing the Text that Matched}, for a |
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|
1560 description of @code{replace-match}. |
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|
1561 |
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1562 However, replacing matches in a string is more complex, especially |
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1563 if you want to do it efficiently. So Emacs provides a function to do |
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1564 this. |
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|
1565 |
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|
1566 @defun replace-regexp-in-string regexp rep string &optional fixedcase literal subexp start |
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1567 This function copies @var{string} and searches it for matches for |
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1568 @var{regexp}, and replaces them with @var{rep}. It returns the |
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1569 modified copy. If @var{start} is non-@code{nil}, the search for |
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1570 matches starts at that index in @var{string}, so matches starting |
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|
1571 before that index are not changed. |
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|
1572 |
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|
1573 This function uses @code{replace-match} to do the replacement, and it |
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1574 passes the optional arguments @var{fixedcase}, @var{literal} and |
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1575 @var{subexp} along to @code{replace-match}. |
6552 | 1576 |
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1577 Instead of a string, @var{rep} can be a function. In that case, |
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|
1578 @code{replace-regexp-in-string} calls @var{rep} for each match, |
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1579 passing the text of the match as its sole argument. It collects the |
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1580 value @var{rep} returns and passes that to @code{replace-match} as the |
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|
1581 replacement string. The match-data at this point are the result |
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1582 of matching @var{regexp} against a substring of @var{string}. |
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|
1583 @end defun |
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|
1584 |
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|
1585 If you want to write a command along the lines of @code{query-replace}, |
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|
1586 you can use @code{perform-replace} to do the work. |
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|
1587 |
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|
1588 @defun perform-replace from-string replacements query-flag regexp-flag delimited-flag &optional repeat-count map start end |
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|
1589 This function is the guts of @code{query-replace} and related |
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|
1590 commands. It searches for occurrences of @var{from-string} in the |
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1591 text between positions @var{start} and @var{end} and replaces some or |
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1592 all of them. If @var{start} is @code{nil} (or omitted), point is used |
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1593 instead, and the end of the buffer's accessible portion is used for |
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|
1594 @var{end}. |
6552 | 1595 |
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1596 If @var{query-flag} is @code{nil}, it replaces all |
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|
1597 occurrences; otherwise, it asks the user what to do about each one. |
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|
1598 |
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|
1599 If @var{regexp-flag} is non-@code{nil}, then @var{from-string} is |
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|
1600 considered a regular expression; otherwise, it must match literally. If |
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1601 @var{delimited-flag} is non-@code{nil}, then only replacements |
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|
1602 surrounded by word boundaries are considered. |
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|
1603 |
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|
1604 The argument @var{replacements} specifies what to replace occurrences |
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1605 with. If it is a string, that string is used. It can also be a list of |
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|
1606 strings, to be used in cyclic order. |
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|
1607 |
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|
1608 If @var{replacements} is a cons cell, @code{(@var{function} |
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1609 . @var{data})}, this means to call @var{function} after each match to |
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1610 get the replacement text. This function is called with two arguments: |
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1611 @var{data}, and the number of replacements already made. |
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|
1612 |
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|
1613 If @var{repeat-count} is non-@code{nil}, it should be an integer. Then |
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|
1614 it specifies how many times to use each of the strings in the |
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|
1615 @var{replacements} list before advancing cyclically to the next one. |
6552 | 1616 |
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1617 If @var{from-string} contains upper-case letters, then |
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|
1618 @code{perform-replace} binds @code{case-fold-search} to @code{nil}, and |
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|
1619 it uses the @code{replacements} without altering the case of them. |
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|
1620 |
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|
1621 Normally, the keymap @code{query-replace-map} defines the possible |
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|
1622 user responses for queries. The argument @var{map}, if |
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1623 non-@code{nil}, specifies a keymap to use instead of |
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|
1624 @code{query-replace-map}. |
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|
1625 @end defun |
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|
1626 |
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|
1627 @defvar query-replace-map |
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1628 This variable holds a special keymap that defines the valid user |
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|
1629 responses for @code{perform-replace} and the commands that use it, as |
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1630 well as @code{y-or-n-p} and @code{map-y-or-n-p}. This map is unusual |
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1631 in two ways: |
6552 | 1632 |
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1633 @itemize @bullet |
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|
1634 @item |
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|
1635 The ``key bindings'' are not commands, just symbols that are meaningful |
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|
1636 to the functions that use this map. |
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|
1637 |
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|
1638 @item |
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|
1639 Prefix keys are not supported; each key binding must be for a |
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1640 single-event key sequence. This is because the functions don't use |
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1641 @code{read-key-sequence} to get the input; instead, they read a single |
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1642 event and look it up ``by hand.'' |
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1643 @end itemize |
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1644 @end defvar |
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|
1645 |
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1646 Here are the meaningful ``bindings'' for @code{query-replace-map}. |
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1647 Several of them are meaningful only for @code{query-replace} and |
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|
1648 friends. |
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|
1649 |
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1650 @table @code |
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|
1651 @item act |
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1652 Do take the action being considered---in other words, ``yes.'' |
8469 | 1653 |
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1654 @item skip |
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1655 Do not take action for this question---in other words, ``no.'' |
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|
1656 |
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|
1657 @item exit |
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1658 Answer this question ``no,'' and give up on the entire series of |
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1659 questions, assuming that the answers will be ``no.'' |
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1660 |
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1661 @item act-and-exit |
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1662 Answer this question ``yes,'' and give up on the entire series of |
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1663 questions, assuming that subsequent answers will be ``no.'' |
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1664 |
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1665 @item act-and-show |
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1666 Answer this question ``yes,'' but show the results---don't advance yet |
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1667 to the next question. |
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1668 |
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1669 @item automatic |
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1670 Answer this question and all subsequent questions in the series with |
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1671 ``yes,'' without further user interaction. |
6552 | 1672 |
65182
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1673 @item backup |
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1674 Move back to the previous place that a question was asked about. |
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1675 |
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1676 @item edit |
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1677 Enter a recursive edit to deal with this question---instead of any |
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1678 other action that would normally be taken. |
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1679 |
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1680 @item delete-and-edit |
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1681 Delete the text being considered, then enter a recursive edit to replace |
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1682 it. |
6552 | 1683 |
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1684 @item recenter |
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1685 Redisplay and center the window, then ask the same question again. |
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1686 |
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1687 @item quit |
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1688 Perform a quit right away. Only @code{y-or-n-p} and related functions |
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1689 use this answer. |
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1690 |
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1691 @item help |
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1692 Display some help, then ask again. |
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1693 @end table |
6552 | 1694 |
1695 @node Standard Regexps | |
1696 @section Standard Regular Expressions Used in Editing | |
1697 @cindex regexps used standardly in editing | |
1698 @cindex standard regexps used in editing | |
1699 | |
1700 This section describes some variables that hold regular expressions | |
1701 used for certain purposes in editing: | |
1702 | |
1703 @defvar page-delimiter | |
21682
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1704 This is the regular expression describing line-beginnings that separate |
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1705 pages. The default value is @code{"^\014"} (i.e., @code{"^^L"} or |
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1706 @code{"^\C-l"}); this matches a line that starts with a formfeed |
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1707 character. |
6552 | 1708 @end defvar |
1709 | |
12067 | 1710 The following two regular expressions should @emph{not} assume the |
1711 match always starts at the beginning of a line; they should not use | |
1712 @samp{^} to anchor the match. Most often, the paragraph commands do | |
1713 check for a match only at the beginning of a line, which means that | |
12098 | 1714 @samp{^} would be superfluous. When there is a nonzero left margin, |
1715 they accept matches that start after the left margin. In that case, a | |
1716 @samp{^} would be incorrect. However, a @samp{^} is harmless in modes | |
1717 where a left margin is never used. | |
12067 | 1718 |
6552 | 1719 @defvar paragraph-separate |
1720 This is the regular expression for recognizing the beginning of a line | |
1721 that separates paragraphs. (If you change this, you may have to | |
8469 | 1722 change @code{paragraph-start} also.) The default value is |
12067 | 1723 @w{@code{"[@ \t\f]*$"}}, which matches a line that consists entirely of |
1724 spaces, tabs, and form feeds (after its left margin). | |
6552 | 1725 @end defvar |
1726 | |
1727 @defvar paragraph-start | |
1728 This is the regular expression for recognizing the beginning of a line | |
1729 that starts @emph{or} separates paragraphs. The default value is | |
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1730 @w{@code{"\f\\|[ \t]*$"}}, which matches a line containing only |
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1731 whitespace or starting with a form feed (after its left margin). |
6552 | 1732 @end defvar |
1733 | |
1734 @defvar sentence-end | |
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1735 If non-@code{nil}, the value should be a regular expression describing |
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1736 the end of a sentence, including the whitespace following the |
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1737 sentence. (All paragraph boundaries also end sentences, regardless.) |
6552 | 1738 |
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1739 If the value is @code{nil}, the default, then the function |
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1740 @code{sentence-end} has to construct the regexp. That is why you |
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1741 should always call the function @code{sentence-end} to obtain the |
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1742 regexp to be used to recognize the end of a sentence. |
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1743 @end defvar |
6552 | 1744 |
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1745 @defun sentence-end |
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1746 This function returns the value of the variable @code{sentence-end}, |
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1747 if non-@code{nil}. Otherwise it returns a default value based on the |
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1748 values of the variables @code{sentence-end-double-space} |
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1749 (@pxref{Definition of sentence-end-double-space}), |
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1750 @code{sentence-end-without-period} and |
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1751 @code{sentence-end-without-space}. |
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1752 @end defun |
52401 | 1753 |
1754 @ignore | |
1755 arch-tag: c2573ca2-18aa-4839-93b8-924043ef831f | |
1756 @end ignore |