re.compile()
re.compile() is a Python function in the Regex Module category. Compiles a regex pattern into a Pattern object for reuse. The syntax is re.compile(pattern, flags=0). Parameters: pattern — regex string. Returns: Pattern object. A typical example: pat = re.compile(r"\\d+")
pat.findall("a1b2c3") # ["1", "2", "3"]
pat.search("abc") # None. A close sibling is re.search(), which scans through the string looking for a match to the regex pattern. Returns the first match or None. A close sibling is re.match(), which checks for a match only at the beginning of the string. A close sibling is re.fullmatch(), which checks if the entire string matches the regex pattern. A close sibling is re.findall(), which returns all non-overlapping matches as a list of strings or tuples. More about this category: Regular expression operations — search, match, findall, sub, split. For a broader walkthrough, read the Regex Module guide. Related Regex Module entries: re.search(), re.match(), re.fullmatch(), re.findall(), re.finditer(), re.sub().