regex
0 antonyms and opposites of regex, grouped by meaning.
Noun — A short line of symbols that describes a pattern of text, used to find, check or replace pieces of writing that match that pattern; short for regular expression.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A short line of symbols that describes a pattern of text, used to find, check or replace pieces of writing that match that pattern; short for regular expression.
“He wrote a regex to pull every date out of the log file.”
2. noun computing
The notation itself, taken as a whole: the set of rules by which such patterns are written.
“Regex differs slightly between programming languages, so a pattern that works in one may need adjusting in another.”
How to Use Regex
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Technical and informal; regular expression is the formal term used in documentation.
Etymology
A shortening of regular expression.
Full origin of regex →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a regex and an ordinary search?
An ordinary search looks for the exact characters you typed. A regex describes a shape of text instead, so one pattern can match anything that fits the description, such as any five-digit number or any word ending in ing.
Is regex a programming language?
No. It is a notation for describing text patterns, used inside programming languages, editors and command-line tools. On its own it cannot store values or perform general computation the way a programming language can.
How is regex pronounced?
Most commonly REJ-eks, with a soft g, although REG-eks with a hard g is also heard. Both are widely understood, and the full form regular expression is unambiguous.