# matching string
pattern1 = "cat"
pattern2 = "bird"
string = "dog runs to cat"
print(pattern1 in string) # True
print(pattern2 in string) # False
import re
# regular expression
pattern1 = "cat"
pattern2 = "bird"
string = "dog runs to cat"
print(re.search(pattern1, string)) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(12, 15), match='cat'>
print(re.search(pattern2, string)) # None
1 # multiple patterns ("run" or "ran")
2 ptn = r"r[au]n" # start with "r" means raw string
3 print(re.search(ptn, "dog runs to cat")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(4, 7), match='run'> 1 print(re.search(r"r[A-Z]n", "dog runs to cat")) # None
2 print(re.search(r"r[a-z]n", "dog runs to cat")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(4, 7), match='run'>
3 print(re.search(r"r[0-9]n", "dog r2ns to cat")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(4, 7), match='r2n'>
4 print(re.search(r"r[0-9a-z]n", "dog runs to cat")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(4, 7), match='run'>
1 # \d : decimal digit
2 print(re.search(r"r\dn", "run r4n")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(4, 7), match='r4n'>
3 # \D : any non-decimal digit
4 print(re.search(r"r\Dn", "run r4n")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(0, 3), match='run'>
5 # \s : any white space [\t\n\r\f\v]
6 print(re.search(r"r\sn", "r\nn r4n")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(0, 3), match='r\nn'>
7 # \S : opposite to \s, any non-white space
8 print(re.search(r"r\Sn", "r\nn r4n")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(4, 7), match='r4n'>
9 # \w : [a-zA-Z0-9_]
10 print(re.search(r"r\wn", "r\nn r4n")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(4, 7), match='r4n'>
11 # \W : opposite to \w
12 print(re.search(r"r\Wn", "r\nn r4n")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(0, 3), match='r\nn'>
13 # \b : empty string (only at the start or end of the word)
14 print(re.search(r"\bruns\b", "dog runs to cat")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(4, 8), match='runs'>
15 # \B : empty string (but not at the start or end of a word)
16 print(re.search(r"\B runs \B", "dog runs to cat")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(8, 14), match=' runs '>
17 # \\ : match \
18 print(re.search(r"runs\\", "runs\ to me")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(0, 5), match='runs\\'>
19 # . : match anything (except \n)
20 print(re.search(r"r.n", "r[ns to me")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(0, 3), match='r[n'>
21 # ^ : match line beginning
22 print(re.search(r"^dog", "dog runs to cat")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(0, 3), match='dog'>
23 # $ : match line ending
24 print(re.search(r"cat$", "dog runs to cat")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(12, 15), match='cat'>
25 # ? : may or may not occur
26 print(re.search(r"Mon(day)?", "Monday")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(0, 6), match='Monday'>
27 print(re.search(r"Mon(day)?", "Mon")) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(0, 3), match='Mon'>
1 string = """
2 dog runs to cat.
3 I run to dog.
4 """
5 print(re.search(r"^I", string)) # None
6 print(re.search(r"^I", string, flags=re.M)) # <_sre.SRE_Match object; span=(18, 19), match='I'>