2.11BSD#431 - /usr/man/cat3/regex.0

REGEX(3)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual		 REGEX(3)


NAME
     re_comp, re_exec - regular expression handler

SYNOPSIS
     char *re_comp(s)
     char *s;

     re_exec(s)
     char *s;

DESCRIPTION
     Re_comp compiles a string into an internal form suitable for
     pattern matching. Re_exec checks the argument string against
     the last string passed to re_comp.

     Re_comp returns 0 if the string s was compiled successfully;
     otherwise a string containing an error message is returned.
     If re_comp is passed 0 or a null string, it returns without
     changing the currently compiled regular expression.

     Re_exec returns 1 if the string s matches the last compiled
     regular expression, 0 if the string s failed to match the
     last compiled regular expression, and -1 if the compiled
     regular expression was invalid (indicating an internal
     error).

     The strings passed to both re_comp and re_exec may have
     trailing or embedded newline characters; they are terminated
     by nulls.	The regular expressions recognized are described
     in the manual entry for ed(1), given the above difference.

SEE ALSO
     ed(1), ex(1), egrep(1), fgrep(1), grep(1)

DIAGNOSTICS
     Re_exec returns -1 for an internal error.

     Re_comp returns one of the following strings if an error
     occurs:

	  No previous regular expression,
	  Regular expression too long,
	  unmatched \(,
	  missing ],
	  too many \(\) pairs,
	  unmatched \).


Printed 11/26/99	  May 15, 1985				1