\code{MatchObject} instances support the following methods and attributes:
-\begin{funcdesc}{group}{\optional{g1, g2, ...}}
-Returns one or more groups of the match. If there is a single
-\var{index} argument, the result is a single string; if there are
+\begin{funcdesc}{group}{\optional{group1, group2, ...}}
+Returns one or more subgroups of the match. If there is a single
+argument, the result is a single string; if there are
multiple arguments, the result is a tuple with one item per argument.
-If the \var{index} is zero, the corresponding return value is the
+Without arguments, \var{group1} defaults to zero (i.e. the whole match
+is returned).
+If a \var{groupN} argument is zero, the corresponding return value is the
entire matching string; if it is in the inclusive range [1..99], it is
the string matching the the corresponding parenthesized group. If no
such group exists, the corresponding result is
\code{None}.
If the regular expression uses the \code{(?P<\var{name}>...)} syntax,
-the \var{index} arguments may also be strings identifying groups by
+the \var{groupN} arguments may also be strings identifying groups by
their group name.
A moderately complicated example:
\end{verbatim}
After performing this match, \code{m.group(1)} is \code{'3'}, as is
-\code{m.group('int')}. \code{m.group(2)} is \code{'14'}.
+\code{m.group('int')}, and \code{m.group(2)} is \code{'14'}.
\end{funcdesc}
\begin{funcdesc}{groups}{}
singleton tuple is returned in such cases.)
\end{funcdesc}
-\begin{funcdesc}{start}{group}
+\begin{funcdesc}{start}{\optional{group}}
\end{funcdesc}
-\begin{funcdesc}{end}{group}
+\begin{funcdesc}{end}{\optional{group}}
Return the indices of the start and end of the substring
-matched by \var{group}. Return \code{None} if \var{group} exists but
+matched by \var{group}; \var{group} defaults to zero (meaning the whole
+matched substring).
+Return \code{None} if \var{group} exists but
did not contribute to the match. For a match object
\var{m}, and a group \var{g} that did contribute to the match, the
substring matched by group \var{g} (equivalent to
\end{funcdesc}
-\begin{funcdesc}{span}{group}
+\begin{funcdesc}{span}{\optional{group}}
For \code{MatchObject} \var{m}, return the 2-tuple
\code{(\var{m}.start(\var{group}), \var{m}.end(\var{group}))}.
Note that if \var{group} did not contribute to the match, this is
-\code{(None, None)}.
+\code{(None, None)}. Again, \var{group} defaults to zero.
\end{funcdesc}
\begin{datadesc}{pos}
\code{MatchObject} instances support the following methods and attributes:
-\begin{funcdesc}{group}{\optional{g1, g2, ...}}
-Returns one or more groups of the match. If there is a single
-\var{index} argument, the result is a single string; if there are
+\begin{funcdesc}{group}{\optional{group1, group2, ...}}
+Returns one or more subgroups of the match. If there is a single
+argument, the result is a single string; if there are
multiple arguments, the result is a tuple with one item per argument.
-If the \var{index} is zero, the corresponding return value is the
+Without arguments, \var{group1} defaults to zero (i.e. the whole match
+is returned).
+If a \var{groupN} argument is zero, the corresponding return value is the
entire matching string; if it is in the inclusive range [1..99], it is
the string matching the the corresponding parenthesized group. If no
such group exists, the corresponding result is
\code{None}.
If the regular expression uses the \code{(?P<\var{name}>...)} syntax,
-the \var{index} arguments may also be strings identifying groups by
+the \var{groupN} arguments may also be strings identifying groups by
their group name.
A moderately complicated example:
\end{verbatim}
After performing this match, \code{m.group(1)} is \code{'3'}, as is
-\code{m.group('int')}. \code{m.group(2)} is \code{'14'}.
+\code{m.group('int')}, and \code{m.group(2)} is \code{'14'}.
\end{funcdesc}
\begin{funcdesc}{groups}{}
singleton tuple is returned in such cases.)
\end{funcdesc}
-\begin{funcdesc}{start}{group}
+\begin{funcdesc}{start}{\optional{group}}
\end{funcdesc}
-\begin{funcdesc}{end}{group}
+\begin{funcdesc}{end}{\optional{group}}
Return the indices of the start and end of the substring
-matched by \var{group}. Return \code{None} if \var{group} exists but
+matched by \var{group}; \var{group} defaults to zero (meaning the whole
+matched substring).
+Return \code{None} if \var{group} exists but
did not contribute to the match. For a match object
\var{m}, and a group \var{g} that did contribute to the match, the
substring matched by group \var{g} (equivalent to
\end{funcdesc}
-\begin{funcdesc}{span}{group}
+\begin{funcdesc}{span}{\optional{group}}
For \code{MatchObject} \var{m}, return the 2-tuple
\code{(\var{m}.start(\var{group}), \var{m}.end(\var{group}))}.
Note that if \var{group} did not contribute to the match, this is
-\code{(None, None)}.
+\code{(None, None)}. Again, \var{group} defaults to zero.
\end{funcdesc}
\begin{datadesc}{pos}