From: Georg Brandl Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:36:05 +0000 (+0000) Subject: Bug #1625381: clarify match vs search introduction. X-Git-Tag: v2.6a1~1448 X-Git-Url: https://granicus.if.org/sourcecode?a=commitdiff_plain;h=604c121eee4a3faef0c242342bc6b73cae46fd28;p=python Bug #1625381: clarify match vs search introduction. --- diff --git a/Doc/library/re.rst b/Doc/library/re.rst index 027ff16a1c..d5abcdd2a2 100644 --- a/Doc/library/re.rst +++ b/Doc/library/re.rst @@ -393,12 +393,12 @@ Matching vs Searching Python offers two different primitive operations based on regular expressions: -match and search. If you are accustomed to Perl's semantics, the search -operation is what you're looking for. See the :func:`search` function and -corresponding method of compiled regular expression objects. +**match** checks for a match only at the beginning of the string, while +**search** checks for a match anywhere in the string (this is what Perl does +by default). -Note that match may differ from search using a regular expression beginning with -``'^'``: ``'^'`` matches only at the start of the string, or in +Note that match may differ from search even when using a regular expression +beginning with ``'^'``: ``'^'`` matches only at the start of the string, or in :const:`MULTILINE` mode also immediately following a newline. The "match" operation succeeds only if the pattern matches at the start of the string regardless of mode, or at the starting position given by the optional *pos*