comparison lispref/searching.texi @ 57252:a325c378e9bb

(Regexp Search): Add looking-back.

57251:f4a2067d260e

     @result{} t
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@node POSIX Regexps
@section POSIX Regular Expression Searching

  The usual regular expression functions do backtracking when necessary
to handle the @samp{\|} and repetition constructs, but they continue

57252:a325c378e9bb

     @result{} t
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@defun looking-back regexp &optional limit
This function returns @code{t} if @var{regexp} matches text before
point, ending at point, and @code{nil} otherwise.

Because regular expression matching works only going forward, this is
implemented by searching backwards from point for a match that ends at
point.  That can be quite slow if it has to search a long distance.
You can bound the time required by specifying @var{limit}, which says
not to search before @var{limit}.  In this case, the match that is
found must begin at or after @var{limit}.

@example
@group
---------- Buffer: foo ----------
I read "@point{}The cat in the hat
comes back" twice.
---------- Buffer: foo ----------

(looking-back "read \"" 3)
     @result{} t
(looking-back "read \"" 4)
     @result{} nil
@end group
@end example
@end defun

@node POSIX Regexps
@section POSIX Regular Expression Searching

  The usual regular expression functions do backtracking when necessary
to handle the @samp{\|} and repetition constructs, but they continue