Revision 1005841 of RegExp.prototype

<div>{{JSRef}}</div>

<p>The <strong><code>RegExp.prototype</code></strong> property represents the prototype object for the {{jsxref("RegExp")}} constructor.</p>

<div>{{js_property_attributes(0, 0, 0)}}</div>

<h2 id="Description">Description</h2>

<p>See {{jsxref("RegExp")}} for a description of <code>RegExp</code> instances. <code>RegExp</code> instances inherit from <code>RegExp.prototype</code>. Modifications to the prototype object are propagated to all <code>RegExp</code> instances.</p>

<h2 id="Properties">Properties</h2>

<p>See also <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Deprecated_and_obsolete_features#RegExp_Properties">deprecated <code>RegExp</code> properties.</a></p>

<p>Note that several of the {{jsxref("RegExp")}} properties have both long and short (Perl-like) names. Both names always refer to the same value. Perl is the programming language from which JavaScript modeled its regular expressions.</p>

<dl>
 <dt><code>RegExp.prototype.constructor</code></dt>
 <dd>Specifies the function that creates an object's prototype.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.flags")}}</dt>
 <dd>A string that contains the flags of the <code>RegExp</code> object.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.global")}}</dt>
 <dd>Whether to test the regular expression against all possible matches in a string, or only against the first.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.ignoreCase")}}</dt>
 <dd>Whether to ignore case while attempting a match in a string.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.multiline")}}</dt>
 <dd>Whether or not to search in strings across multiple lines.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.source")}}</dt>
 <dd>The text of the pattern.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.sticky")}}</dt>
 <dd>Whether or not the search is sticky.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.unicode")}}</dt>
 <dd>Whether or not Unicode features are enabled.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Methods">Methods</h2>

<dl>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.compile()")}} {{deprecated_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>(Re-)compiles a regular expression during execution of a script.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.exec()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Executes a search for a match in its string parameter.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.test()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Tests for a match in its string parameter.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.toSource()")}} {{non-standard_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns an object literal representing the specified object; you can use this value to create a new object. Overrides the {{jsxref("Object.prototype.toSource()")}} method.</dd>
 <dt>{{jsxref("RegExp.prototype.toString()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns a string representing the specified object. Overrides the {{jsxref("Object.prototype.toString()")}} method.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Specifications">Specifications</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Specification</th>
   <th scope="col">Status</th>
   <th scope="col">Comment</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('ES3')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('ES3')}}</td>
   <td>Initial definition. Implemented in JavaScript 1.1.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('ES5.1', '#sec-15.10.5.1', 'RegExp')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('ES5.1')}}</td>
   <td>&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('ES6', '#sec-regexp.prototype', 'RegExp.prototype')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('ES6')}}</td>
   <td>Added <code>flags</code>, <code>sticky</code> and <code>unicode</code> properties.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('ESDraft', '#sec-regexp.prototype', 'RegExp.prototype')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('ESDraft')}}</td>
   <td>&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>

<div>{{CompatibilityTable}}</div>

<div id="compat-desktop">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Chrome</th>
   <th>Firefox (Gecko)</th>
   <th>Internet Explorer</th>
   <th>Opera</th>
   <th>Safari</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<div id="compat-mobile">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Android</th>
   <th>Chrome for Android</th>
   <th>Firefox Mobile (Gecko)</th>
   <th>IE Mobile</th>
   <th>Opera Mobile</th>
   <th>Safari Mobile</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide/Regular_Expressions">Regular Expressions</a> chapter in the <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide">JavaScript Guide</a></li>
 <li>{{jsxref("RegExp")}}</li>
 <li>{{jsxref("Function.prototype")}}</li>
</ul>