trunk/doc/pcre_exec.3

.TH PCRE_EXEC 3
.SH NAME
PCRE - Perl-compatible regular expressions
.SH SYNOPSIS
.rs
.sp
.B #include <pcre.h>
.PP
.SM
.br
.B int pcre_exec(const pcre *\fIcode\fP, "const pcre_extra *\fIextra\fP,"
.ti +5n
.B "const char *\fIsubject\fP," int \fIlength\fP, int \fIstartoffset\fP,
.ti +5n
.B int \fIoptions\fP, int *\fIovector\fP, int \fIovecsize\fP);
.
.SH DESCRIPTION
.rs
.sp
This function matches a compiled regular expression against a given subject
string, using a matching algorithm that is similar to Perl's. It returns
offsets to captured substrings. Its arguments are:
.sp
  \fIcode\fP         Points to the compiled pattern
  \fIextra\fP        Points to an associated \fBpcre_extra\fP structure,
                 or is NULL
  \fIsubject\fP      Points to the subject string
  \fIlength\fP       Length of the subject string, in bytes
  \fIstartoffset\fP  Offset in bytes in the subject at which to
                 start matching
  \fIoptions\fP      Option bits
  \fIovector\fP      Points to a vector of ints for result offsets
  \fIovecsize\fP     Number of elements in the vector (a multiple of 3)
.sp
The options are:
.sp
  PCRE_ANCHORED      Match only at the first position
  PCRE_NOTBOL        Subject is not the beginning of a line
  PCRE_NOTEOL        Subject is not the end of a line
  PCRE_NOTEMPTY      An empty string is not a valid match
  PCRE_NO_UTF8_CHECK Do not check the subject for UTF-8
                       validity (only relevant if PCRE_UTF8
                       was set at compile time)
  PCRE_PARTIAL       Return PCRE_ERROR_PARTIAL for a partial match
.sp
There are restrictions on what may appear in a pattern when partial matching is
requested.
.P
A \fBpcre_extra\fP structure contains the following fields:
.sp
  \fIflags\fP        Bits indicating which fields are set
  \fIstudy_data\fP   Opaque data from \fBpcre_study()\fP
  \fImatch_limit\fP  Limit on internal recursion
  \fIcallout_data\fP Opaque data passed back to callouts
  \fItables\fP       Points to character tables or is NULL
.sp
The flag bits are PCRE_EXTRA_STUDY_DATA, PCRE_EXTRA_MATCH_LIMIT,
PCRE_EXTRA_CALLOUT_DATA, and PCRE_EXTRA_TABLES.
.P
There is a complete description of the PCRE native API in the
.\" HREF
\fBpcreapi\fP
.\"
page and a description of the POSIX API in the
.\" HREF
\fBpcreposix\fP
.\"
page.
1	nigel	79	.TH PCRE_EXEC 3
2	nigel	63	.SH NAME
3			PCRE - Perl-compatible regular expressions
4			.SH SYNOPSIS
5			.rs
6			.sp
7			.B #include <pcre.h>
8			.PP
9			.SM
10			.br
11	nigel	75	.B int pcre_exec(const pcre \fIcode\fP, "const pcre_extra \fIextra\fP,"
12	nigel	63	.ti +5n
13	nigel	75	.B "const char *\fIsubject\fP," int \fIlength\fP, int \fIstartoffset\fP,
14	nigel	63	.ti +5n
15	nigel	75	.B int \fIoptions\fP, int *\fIovector\fP, int \fIovecsize\fP);
16			.
17	nigel	63	.SH DESCRIPTION
18			.rs
19			.sp
20			This function matches a compiled regular expression against a given subject
21	nigel	77	string, using a matching algorithm that is similar to Perl's. It returns
22			offsets to captured substrings. Its arguments are:
23	nigel	75	.sp
24			\fIcode\fP Points to the compiled pattern
25			\fIextra\fP Points to an associated \fBpcre_extra\fP structure,
26	nigel	63	or is NULL
27	nigel	75	\fIsubject\fP Points to the subject string
28			\fIlength\fP Length of the subject string, in bytes
29			\fIstartoffset\fP Offset in bytes in the subject at which to
30	nigel	63	start matching
31	nigel	75	\fIoptions\fP Option bits
32			\fIovector\fP Points to a vector of ints for result offsets
33			\fIovecsize\fP Number of elements in the vector (a multiple of 3)
34			.sp
35	nigel	63	The options are:
36	nigel	75	.sp
37	nigel	63	PCRE_ANCHORED Match only at the first position
38			PCRE_NOTBOL Subject is not the beginning of a line
39			PCRE_NOTEOL Subject is not the end of a line
40			PCRE_NOTEMPTY An empty string is not a valid match
41	nigel	71	PCRE_NO_UTF8_CHECK Do not check the subject for UTF-8
42			validity (only relevant if PCRE_UTF8
43			was set at compile time)
44	nigel	75	PCRE_PARTIAL Return PCRE_ERROR_PARTIAL for a partial match
45			.sp
46			There are restrictions on what may appear in a pattern when partial matching is
47			requested.
48			.P
49			A \fBpcre_extra\fP structure contains the following fields:
50			.sp
51			\fIflags\fP Bits indicating which fields are set
52			\fIstudy_data\fP Opaque data from \fBpcre_study()\fP
53			\fImatch_limit\fP Limit on internal recursion
54			\fIcallout_data\fP Opaque data passed back to callouts
55			\fItables\fP Points to character tables or is NULL
56			.sp
57			The flag bits are PCRE_EXTRA_STUDY_DATA, PCRE_EXTRA_MATCH_LIMIT,
58			PCRE_EXTRA_CALLOUT_DATA, and PCRE_EXTRA_TABLES.
59			.P
60			There is a complete description of the PCRE native API in the
61	nigel	63	.\" HREF
62	nigel	75	\fBpcreapi\fP
63	nigel	63	.\"
64	nigel	75	page and a description of the POSIX API in the
65			.\" HREF
66			\fBpcreposix\fP
67			.\"
68	nigel	63	page.