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<H2><A NAME="SECTION006220000000000000000"></A><A NAME="matching-searching"></A>
<BR>
4.2.2 Matching vs Searching 
</H2>

<P>
Python offers two different primitive operations based on regular
expressions: match and search.  If you are accustomed to Perl's
semantics, the search operation is what you're looking for.  See the
<tt class="function">search()</tt> function and corresponding method of compiled
regular expression objects.

<P>
Note that match may differ from search using a regular expression
beginning with "<tt class="character">^</tt>":
"<tt class="character">^</tt>" matches only at the
start of the string, or in <tt class="constant">MULTILINE</tt> mode also immediately
following a newline.  The ``match'' operation succeeds only if the
pattern matches at the start of the string regardless of mode, or at
the starting position given by the optional <var>pos</var> argument
regardless of whether a newline precedes it.

<P>
<div class="verbatim"><pre>
re.compile("a").match("ba", 1)           # succeeds
re.compile("^a").search("ba", 1)         # fails; 'a' not at start
re.compile("^a").search("\na", 1)        # fails; 'a' not at start
re.compile("^a", re.M).search("\na", 1)  # succeeds
re.compile("^a", re.M).search("ba", 1)   # fails; no preceding \n
</pre></div>

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	55	<H2><A NAME="SECTION006220000000000000000"></A><A NAME="matching-searching"></A>
	56	<BR>
	57	4.2.2 Matching vs Searching
	58	</H2>
	59
	60	<P>
	61	Python offers two different primitive operations based on regular
	62	expressions: match and search. If you are accustomed to Perl's
	63	semantics, the search operation is what you're looking for. See the
	64	<tt class="function">search()</tt> function and corresponding method of compiled
65	regular expression objects.
66
67	<P>
68	Note that match may differ from search using a regular expression
69	beginning with "<tt class="character">^</tt>":
70	"<tt class="character">^</tt>" matches only at the
71	start of the string, or in <tt class="constant">MULTILINE</tt> mode also immediately
72	following a newline. The ``match'' operation succeeds only if the
73	pattern matches at the start of the string regardless of mode, or at
74	the starting position given by the optional <var>pos</var> argument
75	regardless of whether a newline precedes it.
76
77	<P>
78	<div class="verbatim"><pre>
79	re.compile("a").match("ba", 1) # succeeds
80	re.compile("^a").search("ba", 1) # fails; 'a' not at start
81	re.compile("^a").search("\na", 1) # fails; 'a' not at start
82	re.compile("^a", re.M).search("\na", 1) # succeeds
83	re.compile("^a", re.M).search("ba", 1) # fails; no preceding \n
84	</pre></div>
85
86	<P>
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