Difference between the search() and match() in regular expression in python by R4R Team

- search() :

Syntax-
re.search(pattern,string)

match():

Syntax-
re.match(pattern,string,flag=0)

-Both of the function are used to match the pattern to the string in regular expression.

Difference-

match() function search the pattern only at the starting of the string.
while search() function search the pattern in whole string.

Example-

string is s="this is string"
re.match('is',s) will not match.
re.search('is',s) will match.


program-

#import the re module
import re

#Given string is
s = "This is programming language"

#search by match() function
x=re.match('is',s)
if x:
print("Matched by match() function")
else:
print("Not matched")

#search by search() function
x=re.search('is',s)
if x:
print("Matched by search() function")
else:
print("Not matched")

output-

Not matched
Matched by search() function

-In this program, we have a string "This is programming language" then we search the 'is' in this string by both match() and search() function.
- search() function match this with string but match() function don't because 'is' was not present at the starting of the string.