GNU Info

(python2.1-lib.info)Regular Expression Objects

---

Next: Match Objects Prev: Contents of Module re Up: re

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Regular Expression Objects
--------------------------

Compiled regular expression objects support the following methods and
attributes:

`search(string[, pos[, endpos]])'
     Scan through STRING looking for a location where this regular
     expression produces a match, and return a corresponding
     `MatchObject' instance.  Return `None' if no position in the
     string matches the pattern; note that this is different from
     finding a zero-length match at some point in the string.

     The optional POS and ENDPOS parameters have the same meaning as
     for the `match()' method.

`match(string[, pos[, endpos]])'
     If zero or more characters at the beginning of STRING match this
     regular expression, return a corresponding `MatchObject' instance.
     Return `None' if the string does not match the pattern; note that
     this is different from a zero-length match.

     *Note:*  If you want to locate a match anywhere in STRING, use
     `search()' instead.

     The optional second parameter POS gives an index in the string
     where the search is to start; it defaults to `0'.  This is not
     completely equivalent to slicing the string; the `'^'' pattern
     character matches at the real beginning of the string and at
     positions just after a newline, but not necessarily at the index
     where the search is to start.

     The optional parameter ENDPOS limits how far the string will be
     searched; it will be as if the string is ENDPOS characters long,
     so only the characters from POS to ENDPOS will be searched for a
     match.

`split(string[, maxsplit` = 0'])'
     Identical to the `split()' function, using the compiled pattern.

`findall(string)'
     Identical to the `findall()' function, using the compiled pattern.

`sub(repl, string[, count` = 0'])'
     Identical to the `sub()' function, using the compiled pattern.

`subn(repl, string[, count` = 0'])'
     Identical to the `subn()' function, using the compiled pattern.

`flags'
     The flags argument used when the RE object was compiled, or `0' if
     no flags were provided.

`groupindex'
     A dictionary mapping any symbolic group names defined by
     "(?P<ID>)" to group numbers.  The dictionary is empty if no
     symbolic groups were used in the pattern.

`pattern'
     The pattern string from which the RE object was compiled.