REGEX(3)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 ALSOed(1), ex(1), egrep(1), fgrep(1), grep(1), regexp(3)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 \).
3rd Berkeley Distribution May 19, 1988 REGEX(3)