REGEX(3)                GENIX 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;  other-
           wise 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 reg-
           ular 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 reg-
           ular expressions recognized are described in the manual entry for ed
           (1), given the above difference.

      SEE ALSO
           ed(1), ex(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 11/16/83                                                        1