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(elisp)Entire Match Data

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Accessing the Entire Match Data
-------------------------------

   The functions `match-data' and `set-match-data' read or write the
entire match data, all at once.

 - Function: match-data
     This function returns a newly constructed list containing all the
     information on what text the last search matched.  Element zero is
     the position of the beginning of the match for the whole
     expression; element one is the position of the end of the match
     for the expression.  The next two elements are the positions of
     the beginning and end of the match for the first subexpression,
     and so on.  In general, element number 2N corresponds to
     `(match-beginning N)'; and element number 2N + 1 corresponds to
     `(match-end N)'.

     All the elements are markers or `nil' if matching was done on a
     buffer, and all are integers or `nil' if matching was done on a
     string with `string-match'.

     As always, there must be no possibility of intervening searches
     between the call to a search function and the call to `match-data'
     that is intended to access the match data for that search.

          (match-data)
               =>  (#<marker at 9 in foo>
                    #<marker at 17 in foo>
                    #<marker at 13 in foo>
                    #<marker at 17 in foo>)

 - Function: set-match-data match-list
     This function sets the match data from the elements of MATCH-LIST,
     which should be a list that was the value of a previous call to
     `match-data'.

     If MATCH-LIST refers to a buffer that doesn't exist, you don't get
     an error; that sets the match data in a meaningless but harmless
     way.

     `store-match-data' is a semi-obsolete alias for `set-match-data'.