JavaScript RegExp exec()
Example
Search a string for the character "e":
let text = "The best things in life are free";
let result = /e/.exec(text);
Try it Yourself »
Definition and Usage
The exec() method tests for a match in a string.
If it finds a match, it returns a result array, otherwise it returns null.
Browser Support
exec() is an ECMAScript1 (ES1) feature.
ES1 (JavaScript 1997) is fully supported in all browsers:
| Chrome | Edge | Firefox | Safari | Opera | IE |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Syntax
RegExpObject.exec(string)
Parameter Values
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| string | Required. The string to be searched |
Return Value
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Array | An array containing the matched text if it finds a match, otherwise it returns null |
More Examples
Example
Do a global search for "Hello" and "W3Schools" in a string:
let text = "Hello world!";
// Look for "Hello"
let result1 = /Hello/.exec(text);
// Look for "W3Schools"
let result2 = /W3Schools/.exec(text);
Try it Yourself »
Regular Expression Search Methods
In JavaScript, a regular expression text search, can be done with different methods.
With a pattern as a regular expression, these are the most common methods:
| Example | Description |
|---|---|
| text.match(pattern) | The String method match() |
| text.search(pattern) | The String method search() |
| pattern.exec(text) | The RexExp method exec() |
| pattern.test(text) | The RegExp method test() |
