(find.info)Regular Expressions

---

Next: Environment Variables Prev: Invoking xargs Up: Reference

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

8.5 Regular Expressions
=======================

The '-regex' and '-iregex' tests of 'find' allow matching by regular
expression, as does the '--regex' option of 'locate'.

   Your locale configuration affects how regular expressions are
interpreted.  Note: Environment Variables, for a description of how
your locale setup affects the interpretation of regular expressions.

   There are also several different types of regular expression, and
these are interpreted differently.  Normally, the type of regular
expression used by 'find' and 'locate' is almost identical to that used
in GNU Emacs.  The single difference is that in 'find' and 'locate', a
'.' will match a newline character.

   Both 'find' and 'locate' provide an option which allows you to select
an alternative regular expression syntax; for 'find' this is the
'-regextype' option, and for 'locate' this is the '--regextype' option.

   These options take a single argument, which indicates the specific
regular expression syntax and behaviour that should be used.  This
should be one of the following:

findutils-default regular expression syntax

emacs regular expression syntax

gnu-awk regular expression syntax

grep regular expression syntax

posix-awk regular expression syntax

awk regular expression syntax

posix-basic regular expression syntax

posix-egrep regular expression syntax

egrep regular expression syntax

posix-extended regular expression syntax