search (string)

Purpose

The search task takes a regular expression (RegExp) and a string and searches for that RegExp within the string. A RegExp can contain both special and ordinary characters. The task returns an index (number) to indicate the position where a match is found. Indexing starts from zero (0). The task returns -1 if no match is found.

Potential Use Case

The search task checks if a particular string matches for a given regex, or search pattern. You could use this method simply to check if a certain pattern exists and also know its index within a string. In conjunction with the substr method, you could use search to find and replace text in a data record.

Properties

Input and output properties are shown below.

Examples

Example 1

In the IAP examples shown below:

• The incoming str variable is statically set. The reference variable is Hello World.

• The search pattern to match in the regexp variable is or.

  

• The index result will return 7 upon output, indicating the regexp ("or") is located at index position 7 in the string.

  

Example 2

In the IAP examples shown below:

• The reference variable for the incoming str is Hey Dr. Livingstone.

• The search pattern to match in the regexp variable is \., which is a special notation (character class) to indicate the match should be a period (".").

  Refer to this resource for more information on using character classes in regular expressions.

  

• The index result returns 6 upon output, indicating the period is located at index position 6 in the string.

  

Example 3

In the IAP examples shown below:

• The incoming str variable is statically set. The reference variable is Hey Judey.

• The regexp variable is statically set as \., a character class notation to indicate the match should be a period (".").

  

• The index result returns -1 upon output, indicating a period was not found in the string.