Author: Laurent R. Bergé
Date: 2026-08-03

# Regular expression flags

#### Laurent R. Bergé

#### 2026-08-03

All functions in `stringmagic` accept optional regular expressions (regex) flags when regular expressions are expected. The idea is similar to regular regex flags, but the flags are different in name and effect.

# 1 Regex flags: Syntax

Use `"flag1, flag2/regex"` to add the flags `flag1` and `flag2` to the regular expression `regex`. For example `"ignore, fixed/dt["` will add the flags `ignore` and `fixed` to the regex `dt[`.

Alternatively, use only the initials of the flags. Hence, `"if/dt["` would also add the flags `ignore` and `fixed`.

If the regex does not contain a slash (`/`), no flags are added. If your regex should contain a slash, see the section on escaping.

Ex: let’s find lines containing `"dt["`:

    code = c("DT = as.data.table(iris)",
             "DT[, .(pl_sl = string_magic('PL/SL = {Petal.Length / Sepal.Length}')]")

    string_get(code, "if/dt[")
    #> [1] "DT[, .(pl_sl = string_magic('PL/SL = {Petal.Length / Sepal.Length}')]"

# 2 Regex flags: Reference

There are 6 flags:

- ignore: always available
- fixed: always available
- word: always available
- magic: always available
- total: only available in functions performing a replacement
- single: only available in functions performing a replacement

### 2.0.1 ignore

The flag `"ignore"` leads to a case-insensitive search.

Ex: let’s extract words starting with the last letters of the alphabet.

    unhappy = "Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! spout, rain!
    Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire are my daughters.
    I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness.
    I never gave you kingdom, call'd you children,
    You owe me no subscription. Then let fall
    Your horrible pleasure. Here I stand your slave,
    A poor, infirm, weak, and despis'd old man."

    # the ignore flag allows to retain words starting with the
    # upper cased letters
    # ex: getting words starting with the letter 'r' to 'z'
    cat_magic("{'ignore/\\b[r-z]\\w+'extract, c, 60 swidth ? unhappy}")
    #> Rumble thy Spit spout rain rain wind thunder tax you you
    #> with unkindness you you You subscription Then Your stand
    #> your slave weak

Technically, the perl expression `"(?i)"` is added at the beginning of the pattern.

### 2.0.2 fixed

The flag `"fixed"` removes any special regular expression meaning from the pattern, and treats it as verbatim.

Ex: let’s fix the equation by changing the operators.

    x = "50 + 5 * 5 = 40"
    string_clean(x, "f/+", "f/*", replacement = "-")
    #> [1] "50 - 5 - 5 = 40"

    # Without the fixed flag, we would have gotten an error since '+' or '*'
    # have a special meaning in regular expressions (it is a quantifier)
    # and expects something before

    # Here's the error
    try(string_clean(x, "+", "*", replacement = "-"))
    #> Error : in string_clean(x, "+", "*", replacement = "-"):
    #> CONTEXT: evaluation of "+"
    #>          pattern     = "+"
    #>          replacement = "-"
    #> EXPECTATION: the pattern must be a valid regular expression
    #> PROBLEM: `gsub` led to an error, see below:
    #> invalid regular expression '+'
    #> PCRE pattern compilation error
    #>  'quantifier does not follow a repeatable item'
    #>  at '+'

Technically, if `"fixed"` is the only flag, then the functions `base::grepl` or `base::gsub` are run with the argument `fixed = TRUE`. If there are also the flags `"ignore"` or `"word"`, the pattern is nested into the perl boundaries `\\Q` and `\\E` which strip any special meaning from the pattern.

### 2.0.3 word

The flag `"word"`:

- adds word boundaries to the pattern
- accepts comma-separated enumerations of words which are concatenated with a logical ‘or’

The logic of accepting comma-separated enumerations is to increase readability. For example, with the flag `"word"`, `"is, are, were"` is equivalent to `"\\b(is|are|were)\\b"`.

Ex: we hide a few words from Alfred de Vigny’s poem.

    le_mont_des_oliviers = "S'il est vrai qu'au Jardin sacré des Écritures,
    Le Fils de l'homme ai dit ce qu'on voit rapporté ;
    Muet, aveugle et sourd au cri des créatures,
    Si le Ciel nous laissa comme un monde avorté,
    Alors le Juste opposera le dédain à l'absence
    Et ne répondra plus que par un froid silence
    Au silence éternel de la Divinité."

    # we hide a few words from this poem
    string_magic("{'wi/et, le, il, au, des?, ce => _'replace ? le_mont_des_oliviers}")
    #> [1] "S'_ est vrai qu'_ Jardin sacré _ Écritures,\n_ Fils _ l'homme ai dit _ qu'on voit rapporté ;\nMuet, aveugle _ sourd _ cri _ créatures,\nSi _ Ciel nous laissa comme un monde avorté,\nAlors _ Juste opposera _ dédain à l'absence\n_ ne répondra plus que par un froid silence\n_ silence éternel _ la Divinité."

Technically, first the pattern is split with respect to `",[ \t\n]+"`, then all elements are collapsed with `"|"`. If the flag `"fixed"` was also present, each element is first wrapped into `"\\Q"` and `"\\E"`. Finally, we add parentheses (to enable capture) and word boundaries (`"\\b"`) on both sides.

### 2.0.4 magic

Use the `"magic"` flag to interpolate variables inside the regular expression before the regex is evaluated.

Ex: interpolating variables inside regular expressions.

    vowels ="aeiouy"
    # let's keep only the vowels
    # we want the pattern: "[^aeiouy]"
    lmb = "'Tis safer to be that which we destroy
    Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy."
    string_replace(lmb, "magic/[^{vowels}]", "_")
    #> [1] "__i___a_e___o__e___a____i____e__e___oy___a___y__e___u__io____e___i___ou___u___oy_"

    #
    # Illustration of `string_magic` operations before regex application
    #

    cars = row.names(mtcars)
    # Which of these models contain a digit?
    models = c("Toyota", "Hornet", "Porsche")
    # we want the pattern "(Toyota|Hornet|"Porsche).+\\d"
    # we collapse the models with a pipe using '|'c
    string_get(cars, "m/({'|'c ? models}).+\\d")
    #> [1] "Hornet 4 Drive" "Porsche 914-2"

    # alternative: same as above but we first comma-split the vector
    models_comma = "Toyota, Hornet, Porsche"
    string_get(cars, "m/({S, '|'c ? models_comma}).+\\d")
    #> [1] "Hornet 4 Drive" "Porsche 914-2"

    #
    # Interpolation does not apply to regex-specific curly brackets
    #

    # We delete only successions of 2+ vowels
    # {2,} has a rexex meaning and is not interpolated:
    string_replace(lmb, "magic/[{vowels}]{2,}", "_")
    #> [1] "'Tis safer to be that which we destr_\nThan by destruct_n dwell in d_btful j_."

Technically, the algorithm does not interpolate curly brackets having a regular expression meaning. The expression of the form `"{a, b}"` with `"a"` and `"b"` digits means a repetition of the previous symbol of at least `"a"` times and at most `"b"` times. The variables are fetched in the calling environment. To fetch them from a different location, you can use the argument `envir`.

### 2.0.5 total

The flag `"total"` is only available to functions performing a replacement. In that case, if a pattern is detected, the full character string is replaced (instead of just the pattern).

Ex: let’s replace a few car models.

    cars_small = head(row.names(mtcars))
    print(cars_small)
    #> [1] "Mazda RX4"         "Mazda RX4 Wag"     "Datsun 710"
    #> [4] "Hornet 4 Drive"    "Hornet Sportabout" "Valiant"

    string_replace(cars_small, "ti/mazda", "Mazda: sold out!")
    #> [1] "Mazda: sold out!"  "Mazda: sold out!"  "Datsun 710"
    #> [4] "Hornet 4 Drive"    "Hornet Sportabout" "Valiant"

On top of this, the `"total"` flag allows to perform logical operations across several regex patterns. You have more information on this in the dedicated vignette. In a nutshell, you can write `"pat1 & !pat2 | pat3"` with `"patx"` regular expresion patterns. This means: contains `pat1` and does not contain `pat2`, or contains `pat3`.

Ex: detect car brands with a digit and no ‘e’.

    cars_small = head(row.names(mtcars))
    print(cars_small)
    #> [1] "Mazda RX4"         "Mazda RX4 Wag"     "Datsun 710"
    #> [4] "Hornet 4 Drive"    "Hornet Sportabout" "Valiant"

    string_replace(cars_small, "total, ignore/\\d & !e", "I don't like that brand!")
    #> [1] "I don't like that brand!" "I don't like that brand!"
    #> [3] "I don't like that brand!" "Hornet 4 Drive"
    #> [5] "Hornet Sportabout"        "Valiant"

Technically, instead of using `gsub` to replace the pattern, `string_is` is used to detect which element contains the pattern. Each element with the pattern is then substituted with the replacement.

### 2.0.6 single

The flag `"single"` is only available to functions performing a replacement. It allows only a single substitution to take place. Said differently, only the first replacement is performed.

Ex: single substitutions.

    encounter = string_vec("Hi Cyclops., Hi you. What's your name?, Odysseus is my name.")
    # we only remove the first word
    string_replace(encounter, "single/\\w+", "...")
    #> [1] "... Cyclops."               "... you. What's your name?"
    #> [3] "... is my name."

Technically, the function `base::sub` is used instead of `base::gsub`.

## 2.1 Escaping flags: How to, and a word of caution with paths

If your regular expression contains a slash (`"/"`), this will come in conflict with the parsing of the optional flags. At the moment a `/` is present in a pattern, the algorithm will throw an error if the expected flags are not written correctly.

To use a slash in the regex without adding flags there is only one solutions:

- escape the first `"/"` with a double backslash

Ex: let’s invert the numerator and denominator of a division.

    eq = "5/x = 3/2"
    # escaping with backslashes
    string_replace(eq, "(\\w)\\/(\\w)", "\\2/\\1")
    #> [1] "x/5 = 2/3"

Warning: when applying regular expressions on file paths, to avoid unexpected behavior, the flags algorithm is very strict. Everytime a pattern contains a slash that is not associated with valid flags, an error will be thrown unless that slash is escaped.

    path = "my/path/to/the/file.tex"
    # we keep the directory only

    # first try: an error bc flags are expected before the first '/'
    try(string_replace(path, "/[^/]+$"))
    #> Error : in string_replace(path, "/[^/]+$"):
    #> Problem found in the regex pattern "/[^/]+$".
    #> PROBLEM: The first flag is empty. To use a regular slash, escape it with
    #> a double backslah.
    #>
    #> INFO: regex flags write 'flag1, flag2/pattern' where a flag = lower case
    #> letters.
    #>   Ex: 'ignore, fixed/dt[' leads to the flags 'ignore' and 'fixed' for
    #>   the pattern 'dt['.
    #>   Or simply collate the first letters of the flags: 'if/dt['.
    #>   To use '/' without flag parsing, escape it. Ex: '\\/usr': leads to
    #>   '/usr' without any flag on.

    # after escaping: works (only the first slash requires escaping)
    string_replace(path, "\\/[^/]+$")
    #> [1] "my/path/to/the"

    # if we did add a flag, we would need to double the slash
    # compare...
    string_replace(path, "i//[^/]+$")
    #> [1] "my/path/to/the"
    # to...
    string_replace(path, "i/[^/]+$")
    #> [1] "my/path/to/the/"

Hence if you need to write path related regexes, you very likely need to escape the first slash.