# pcre2_match man page

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SYNOPSIS

#include <pcre2.h>

int pcre2_match(const pcre2_code *code, PCRE2_SPTR subject, PCRE2_SIZE length, PCRE2_SIZE startoffset, uint32_t options, pcre2_match_data *match_data, pcre2_match_context *mcontext);

DESCRIPTION

This function matches a compiled regular expression against a given subject string, using a matching algorithm that is similar to Perl's. It returns offsets to what it has matched and to captured substrings via the match_data block, which can be processed by functions with names that start with pcre2_get_ovector_...() or pcre2_substring_...(). The return from pcre2_match() is one more than the highest numbered capturing pair that has been set (for example, 1 if there are no captures), zero if the vector of offsets is too small, or a negative error code for no match and other errors. The function arguments are:

      code         Points to the compiled pattern
      subject      Points to the subject string
      length       Length of the subject string
      startoffset  Offset in the subject at which to start matching
      options      Option bits
      match_data   Points to a match data block, for results
      mcontext     Points to a match context, or is NULL

A match context is needed only if you want to:

      Set up a callout function
      Set a matching offset limit
      Change the heap memory limit
      Change the backtracking match limit
      Change the backtracking depth limit
      Set custom memory management specifically for the match

The length and startoffset values are code units, not characters. The length may be given as PCRE2_ZERO_TERMINATED for a subject that is terminated by a binary zero code unit. The options are:

      PCRE2_ANCHORED          Match only at the first position
      PCRE2_COPY_MATCHED_SUBJECT
                              On success, make a private subject copy
      PCRE2_DISABLE_RECURSELOOP_CHECK
                              Only useful in rare cases; use with care
      PCRE2_ENDANCHORED       Pattern can match only at end of subject
      PCRE2_NOTBOL            Subject string is not the beginning of a line
      PCRE2_NOTEOL            Subject string is not the end of a line
      PCRE2_NOTEMPTY          An empty string is not a valid match
      PCRE2_NOTEMPTY_ATSTART  An empty string at the start of the subject is not a valid match
      PCRE2_NO_JIT            Do not use JIT matching
      PCRE2_NO_UTF_CHECK      Do not check the subject for UTF validity (only relevant if PCRE2_UTF
                               was set at compile time)
      PCRE2_PARTIAL_HARD      Return PCRE2_ERROR_PARTIAL for a partial match even if there is a full match
      PCRE2_PARTIAL_SOFT      Return PCRE2_ERROR_PARTIAL for a partial match if no full matches are found

For details of partial matching, see the pcre2partial page. There is a complete description of the PCRE2 native API in the pcre2api page and a description of the POSIX API in the pcre2posix page.

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