Regular Expressions 101

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An explanation of your regex will be automatically generated as you type.
Detailed match information will be displayed here automatically.
  • All Tokens
  • Common Tokens
  • General Tokens
  • Anchors
  • Meta Sequences
  • Quantifiers
  • Group Constructs
  • Character Classes
  • Flags/Modifiers
  • Substitution
  • A single character of: a, b or c
    [abc]
  • A character except: a, b or c
    [^abc]
  • A character in the range: a-z
    [a-z]
  • A character not in the range: a-z
    [^a-z]
  • A character in the range: a-z or A-Z
    [a-zA-Z]
  • Any single character
    .
  • Alternate - match either a or b
    a|b
  • Any whitespace character
    \s
  • Any non-whitespace character
    \S
  • Any digit
    \d
  • Any non-digit
    \D
  • Any word character
    \w
  • Any non-word character
    \W
  • Non-capturing group
    (?:...)
  • Capturing group
    (...)
  • Zero or one of a
    a?
  • Zero or more of a
    a*
  • One or more of a
    a+
  • Exactly 3 of a
    a{3}
  • 3 or more of a
    a{3,}
  • Between 3 and 6 of a
    a{3,6}
  • Start of string
    ^
  • End of string
    $
  • A word boundary
    \b
  • Non-word boundary
    \B

Regular Expression
No Match

/
/
gmx

Test String

Code Generator

Language

Generated Code

import java.util.regex.Matcher; import java.util.regex.Pattern; public class Example { public static void main(String[] args) { final String regex = "(?m)\n" + "^ \n" + "(?=\n" + " (?:\n" + " (?:\n" + " (?(1) (?!) )\n" + " ( . ) # (1)\n" + " | (?(2) (?!) )\n" + " (?! \\1 )\n" + " ( . ) # (2)\n" + " | (?(3) (?!) )\n" + " (?! \\1 | \\2 )\n" + " ( . ) # (3)\n" + " | (?(4) (?!) )\n" + " (?! \\1 | \\2 | \\3 )\n" + " ( . ) # (4)\n" + " | (?(5) (?!) )\n" + " (?! \\1 | \\2 | \\3 | \\4 )\n" + " ( . ) # (5)\n" + " | (?(6) (?!) )\n" + " (?! \\1 | \\2 | \\3 | \\4 | \\5 )\n" + " ( . ) # (6)\n" + " | (?(7) (?!) )\n" + " (?! \\1 | \\2 | \\3 | \\4 | \\5 | \\6 )\n" + " ( . ) # (7)\n" + " | (?(8) (?!) )\n" + " (?! \\1 | \\2 | \\3 | \\4 | \\5 | \\6 | \\7 )\n" + " ( . ) # (8)\n" + " | (?(9) (?!) )\n" + " (?! \\1 | \\2 | \\3 | \\4 | \\5 | \\6 | \\7 | \\8 )\n" + " ( . ) # (9)\n" + " )\n" + " \\S*? \n" + " ){1,9}\n" + " $ \n" + ")\n\n" + "(?= (?: \\1|\\2|\\3|\\4|\\5|\\6|\\7|\\8|\\9 )* $ )\n\n" + "(?(DEFINE)\n" + " (?<one> # (10)\n" + " (?: (?! \\1 ) . )*\n" + " \\1 \n" + " ) \n" + " (?<two> # (11)\n" + " (?: (?! \\2 ) . )*\n" + " \\2 \n" + " ) \n" + " (?<three> # (12)\n" + " (?: (?! \\3 ) . )*\n" + " \\3 \n" + " ) \n" + " (?<four> # (13)\n" + " (?: (?! \\4 ) . )*\n" + " \\4 \n" + " ) \n" + " (?<five> # (14)\n" + " (?: (?! \\5 ) . )*\n" + " \\5 \n" + " ) \n" + " (?<six> # (15)\n" + " (?: (?! \\6 ) . )*\n" + " \\6 \n" + " ) \n" + " (?<seven> # (16)\n" + " (?: (?! \\7 ) . )*\n" + " \\7 \n" + " ) \n" + " (?<eight> # (17)\n" + " (?: (?! \\8 ) . )*\n" + " \\8 \n" + " ) \n" + " (?<nine> # (18)\n" + " (?: (?! \\9 ) . )*\n" + " \\9 \n" + " ) \n" + ")\n\n" + "(?: ### Times Table 9 x 9 = 81 max char string\n\n" + " # 1 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {1} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {1} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){1} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {1} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {1} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {1} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){1} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){1} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {1} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n\n" + " | # 2 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {2} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {2} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){2} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {2} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {2} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {2} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){2} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){2} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {2} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n\n" + " | # 3 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {3} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {3} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){3} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {3} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {3} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {3} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){3} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){3} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {3} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n\n" + " | # 4 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {4} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {4} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){4} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {4} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {4} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {4} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){4} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){4} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {4} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n\n" + " | # 5 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {5} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {5} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){5} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {5} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {5} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {5} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){5} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){5} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {5} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n\n" + " | # 6 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {6} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {6} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){6} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {6} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {6} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {6} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){6} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){6} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {6} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n\n" + " | # 7 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {7} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {7} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){7} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {7} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {7} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {7} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){7} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){7} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {7} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n\n" + " | # 8 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {8} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {8} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){8} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {8} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {8} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {8} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){8} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){8} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {8} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n\n" + " | # 9 \n" + " (?(1) (?= (?&one) {9} (?! .* \\1 ))\n" + " (?(2) (?= (?&two) {9} (?! .* \\2 ))\n" + " (?(3) (?= (?&three){9} (?! .* \\3 ))\n" + " (?(4) (?= (?&four) {9} (?! .* \\4 ))\n" + " (?(5) (?= (?&five) {9} (?! .* \\5 ))\n" + " (?(6) (?= (?&six) {9} (?! .* \\6 ))\n" + " (?(7) (?= (?&seven){9} (?! .* \\7 ))\n" + " (?(8) (?= (?&eight){9} (?! .* \\8 ))\n" + " (?(9) (?= (?&nine) {9} (?! .* \\9 ))\n" + " )))))))))\n" + ")\n" + ".*"; final String string = "------------------------------\n" + "match_words = \n" + "------------------------------\n" + "arraigning\n" + "nonordered\n" + "abadbacdcacbdbdc\n" + "mesosome\n" + "ananna\n" + "unendued\n" + "tromometer\n" + "caucasus\n" + "intestines\n" + "i\n" + "deed\n" + "horseshoer\n" + "happenchance\n" + "reappear\n" + "deeded\n" + "pullup\n" + "arraigning\n" + "testes\n" + "mononymy\n" + "scintillescent\n" + "couscous\n\n" + "------------------------------\n" + "not_match_words = \n" + "------------------------------\n" + "edified\n" + "unreverberating\n" + "underpass\n" + "interinsert\n" + "pilfered\n" + "nippiness\n" + "gregarinian\n" + "deicide\n" + "nonaristocratic\n" + "rototiller\n" + "ozonizing\n" + "museums\n" + "backbreaker\n" + "interradiated\n" + "antistalling\n" + "naturalize\n" + "equitriangular\n" + "reparticipate\n" + "ppd\n" + "miasmas\n" + "cabbage\n\n"; final Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(regex, Pattern.MULTILINE | Pattern.COMMENTS); final Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(string); while (matcher.find()) { System.out.println("Full match: " + matcher.group(0)); for (int i = 1; i <= matcher.groupCount(); i++) { System.out.println("Group " + i + ": " + matcher.group(i)); } } } }

Please keep in mind that these code samples are automatically generated and are not guaranteed to work. If you find any syntax errors, feel free to submit a bug report. For a full regex reference for Java, please visit: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/regex/Pattern.html