JavaScript RegExp exec()

Search a string for the character "e":

let text = "The best things in life are free";
let result = /e/.exec(text);

Description

The exec() method tests for a match in a string.

If it finds a match, it returns a result array, otherwise it returns null.

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

RegExpObject.exec(string)

Parameter	Description
string	Required. The string to be searched

Type	Description
Array	An array containing the matched text if it finds a match, otherwise it returns null

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);

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: