The library documents itself · Pattern matching

stzRegex

66 own methods · 74 forms written with extensions, listed under their method

the source: base/regex/stzRegex.ring(opens in a new tab) · All classes · The area reference: Pattern matching

Under each method, its extensions (Q CS XT Z ZZ IB W U): bold and ticked, it exists; struck, it does not. The extensions and what they mean

Examples: 3 come from the library's tests; 33 were composed from each method's signature and run for this page, on a fresh object, for example o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+"). 30 methods have none yet. Examples run on 2026-10-03 20:34 inside the library at commit 0e72e2e2c.

Method

Explanation, as the source carries it

init

init and pattern seetingno extension

SetPattern

init and pattern seeting

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
o1.SetPattern("an")
? o1.Content()
#--> an

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

String

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) stringin the section general methodsno extension

Pattern

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) patternalso written: Contentin the section general methodsno extension

Copy

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) copyin the section general methodsno extension

MatchType

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match typealso written: MatchTypeAndOptionsin the section general methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchType()
#--> matchentirecontent

composed from the signature, run for this page

QCSXTZZZIBWU

MatchOptions

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match optionsin the section general methodsno extension

HasMatch

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) has matchin the section matching methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.HasMatch()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

HasPartialMatch

Reads the recorded outcome of the LAST match, exactly as HasMatch() does. It used to re-run a fresh unanchored partial probe instead, so the two siblings could describe different matches.

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.HasPartialMatch()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

LastMatchKind

The kind of the last match: 0 none, 1 complete, 2 partial.

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.LastMatchKind()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchLinesIn

Softanza scope-based pattern matching methods The scope methods SEARCH within a scope -- the scope sets the boundaries (what "." spans, where ^ and $ bind), the match type stays the unanchored search. MatchWord("pre[a-z]+") finds "preset" inside a longer sentence; that is the whole point of a word scope.also written: MatchLine

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchLinesIn("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchFirstLineIn

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match first line inalso written: MatchFirstLinein the section matching methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchFirstLineIn("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchWordsIn

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match words in 1 examples runalso written: MatchWordin the section matching methods

o1 = new stzRegex("pre\w+")
? o1.MatchWordsIn("prefix preprocess present compress")  # matches pre* words
? o1.MatchWordsIn("compress")
#--> 1
#--> 0

library testno extension

MatchFirstWordIn

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match first word inalso written: MatchFirstWordin the section matching methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchFirstWordIn("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchSegmentsIn

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match segments inalso written: MatchSegmentin the section matching methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchSegmentsIn("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchFirstSegmentIn

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match first segment inalso written: MatchFirstSegmentin the section matching methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchFirstSegmentIn("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

Match

This is what :MatchEntireContent has always said it does, and what the naming redesign settled on: match the complete pattern against the complete content. 4 examples runalso written: Macth · IsMatched · MacthString · MatchString

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.Match("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

QCSXTZZZIBWUMany

MatchFirst

The SEARCH counterpart of Match(): is there a first occurrence of the pattern anywhere in the string? rx("[0-9]+").MatchFirst("abc123") is TRUE where .Match("abc123") is FALSE.also written: Occurs · MatchAnywhere

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchFirst("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchAt

Searches for the next occurrence FROM nPos (1-based), which is what Matches() needs to walk a string. Not "must match starting exactly at nPos" -- that is MatchXT(s, nPos, :MatchEntireContent, ...).

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchAt("an", 2)
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

Matches

Getting all the matching values in a given string 1 examples runalso written: Result · Harvest · Results · AllMatches · MatchedValues · MatchingValues · AllMatchingValues · MatchedSubStrings · MatchingSubStringsQCSXTZZZIBWU

NumberOfMatches

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) number of matchesalso written: CountMatches · HowManyMatches · CountMatchingValues · HowManyMatchingValues · NumberOfMatchingValuesin the section matching methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.NumberOfMatches()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

NumberOfChars

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) number of charsalso written: CapturedLengthin the section matching methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.NumberOfChars()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

FindMatches

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) find matchesalso written: FindValues · FindMatchingValues · FindMatchingSubStringsin the section matching methodsQCSXTZZZIBWU

ValuesAndTheirPositions

Same as MatchesZ: This used to print @@(FindMatches()) and return nothing, which made the four aliases below -- every one of them named ...AndTheirPositions -- answer NULL while dumping to the console. Nothing carried a position at all. 1 examples runno extension

MatchesAndTheirPositions

MatchingValuesAndTheirPositions

MatchingSubStringsAndTheirPositions

ValuesZ

FindValuesAsSections

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) find values as sectionsin the section matching methodsno extension

FindMatchesAsSections

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) find matches as sectionsin the section matching methodsno extension

FindMatchingValuesAsSection

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) find matching values as sectionin the section matching methodsno extension

FindMatchingSubStringsAsSections

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) find matching sub strings as sectionsin the section matching methodsno extension

ValuesAsSections

Same as MatchesZZ: Getting all the matching values in a given string (answers [start, end] sections)no extension

MatchesAsSections

Same as MatchesZZ: Getting all the matching values in a given string (answers [start, end] sections)no extension

MatchingValuesAsSection

Same as MatchesZZ: Getting all the matching values in a given string (answers [start, end] sections)no extension

MatchingSubStringsAsSections

Same as MatchesZZ: Getting all the matching values in a given string (answers [start, end] sections)no extension

HasGroups

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) has groupsin the section group capture-related methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.HasGroups()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

HasNames

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) has names 1 examples runin the section group capture-related methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.HasNames()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

CaptureGroups

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) capture groups 1 examples runalso written: Capture · Captures · CaptureValues · CapturedValues · CaptureSubStrings · CaptureMatchingSubStringsin the section group capture-related methodsQCSXTZZZIBWU

HasValues

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) has valuesalso written: HasMatches · HasMatchedValuesin the section group capture-related methods

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.HasValues()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

CaptureNames

Named Recursive Match 1 examples runalso written: Names · NestedNames · RecursiveNames · CaptureGroupNames · NestedGroupsNames · NestedNamedGroups · RecursiveGroupsNames · RecursiveNamedGroupsin the section group capture-related methodsno extension

CapturedGroups

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) captured groupsalso written: Groupsin the section group capture-related methodsno extension

CaptureByName

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) capture by namealso written: GroupByName · NamedCapturein the section group capture-related methodsno extension

NamedGroups

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) named groupsalso written: NamedCaptureGroupsin the section group capture-related methodsno extension

FindCapture

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) find capturealso written: FindCaptures · FindCaptureValues · FindCapturedValues · FindCaptureSubStrings · FindCaptureMatchingSubStringsin the section group capture-related methodsQCSXTZZZIBWU

CaptureCount

pattern information and validation

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.CaptureCount()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

IsValid

pattern information and validationalso written: IsValidPattern

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.IsValid()
#--> 1

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

LastError

pattern information and validationno extension

PatternErrorOffset

pattern information and validation

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.PatternErrorOffset()
#--> -1

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

IsPartialMatch

TRUE only when pcStr is a strict PREFIX of something that would match entirely -- on the way there, not there yet. 2 examples runalso written: IsPartial · MatchPartial · PartialMatch

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.IsPartialMatch("an")
#--> 1

composed from the signature, run for this page

QCSXTZZZIBWU

IsCompleteMatch

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) is complete matchalso written: IsCompletein the section partial match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.IsCompleteMatch("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchAsYouType

This is the method the two partial match types exist for. Until the types were wired up it just called an entire-content match, so it rejected every incomplete input -- the exact case it is named after. 2 examples runalso written: ValidateAsTyped

o1 = new stzRegex("(https?://)?(www\.)?[\w-]+\.com")
? o1.MatchAsYouType("www.")
? o1.MatchAsYouType("https://")
? o1.MatchAsYouType("example")
? o1.MatchAsYouType("example.")
? o1.MatchAsYouType("example.com")
#--> 1
#--> 1
#--> 1
#--> 1
#--> ...

library testno extension

MatchInProgress

The search counterpart: is a match either present, or still possible if more text arrives? Used for progressive/incremental search. 1 examples runalso written: SearchInProgress

o1 = new stzRegex("quick.*fox")
? o1.MatchInProgress("qui")
? o1.MatchInProgress("quick br")
? o1.MatchInProgress("quick brown f")
? o1.MatchInProgress("slow")
#--> 1
#--> 1
#--> 1
#--> 0

library testno extension

PartialMatchInfo

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) partial match info 6 examples runalso written: MatchPartialInfoin the section partial match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? @@( o1.PartialMatchInfo("an") )
#--> [ [ "matchtype", "partial" ], [ "matched", "an" ], [ "section", [ 1, 2 ] ] ]

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

FindPartialMatch

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) find partial match 2 examples runin the section partial match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.FindPartialMatch("an")
#--> 1

composed from the signature, run for this page

QCSXTZZZIBWU

PartialMatchStart

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) partial match startin the section partial match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.PartialMatchStart("an")
#--> 1

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

PartialMatchLength

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) partial match lengthalso written: PartialMatchSize · PartialMatchNumberOfCharsin the section partial match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.PartialMatchLength("an")
#--> 1

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchRecursive

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match recursivealso written: MatchNested · NestedMatch · RecursiveMatchin the section recursive (nested) match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchRecursive("an")
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

IsRecursiveMatch

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) is recursive matchalso written: IsNestedMatchin the section recursive (nested) match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.IsRecursiveMatch()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

RecursiveMatchInfo

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) recursive match infoalso written: NestedMatchInfoin the section recursive (nested) match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? @@( o1.RecursiveMatchInfo() )
#--> [ [ "isrecursive", 0 ], [ "depth", 0 ], [ "matches", [ ] ] ]

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

MatchManyRecursive

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) match many recursivealso written: MatchManyNestedin the section recursive (nested) match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.MatchManyRecursive([ "an", "a" ])
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

QCSXTZZZIBWU

RecursiveSubStrings

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) recursive sub stringsalso written: NestedValues · NestedMatches · RecursiveValues · NestedSubStrings · RecursiveMatchesin the section recursive (nested) matchQCSXTZZZIBWU

FindRecursiveSubStrings

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) find recursive sub stringsalso written: FindNested · FindRecursive · FindNestedValues · FindNestedMatches · FindRecursiveValues · FindRecursiveMatches · FindNestedSubPatterns · FindNestedSubStringsZin the section recursive (nested) matchQCSXTZZZIBWU

RecursiveDepth

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) recursive depthin the section recursive (nested) match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.RecursiveDepth()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

NestedDepth

(no comment in the source: the name reads as a sentence) nested depthin the section recursive (nested) match

composed example

o1 = new stzRegex("[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+")
? o1.NestedDepth()
#--> 0

composed from the signature, run for this page

no extension

Explain

explanation methodsQCSXTZZZIBWU