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Regular Expression Reference: Anchors

Feature	Syntax	Description	Example	JGsoft	Python	JavaScript	VBScript	XRegExp	.NET	Java	ICU	RE2	Perl	PCRE	PCRE2	PHP	Delphi	R	Ruby	std::regex	Boost	Tcl	POSIX	GNU	Oracle	XML	XPath
String anchor	`^` (caret)	Matches at the start of the string the regex pattern is applied to.	`^.` matches `a` in `abc\ndef`	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	no	YES
String anchor	`$` (dollar)	Matches at the end of the string the regex pattern is applied to.	`.$` matches `f` in `abc\ndef`	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	no	YES
String anchor	`$` (dollar)	Matches before the final line break in the string (if any) in addition to matching at the very end of the string.	`.$` matches `f` in `abc\ndef\n`	YES	YES	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	no	no	no	no	no	no	YES	n/a	no
Line anchor	`^` (caret)	Matches after each line break in addition to matching at the start of the string, thus matching at the start of each line in the string.	`^.` matches `a` and `d` in `abc\ndef`	YES	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	YES	YES	basic extended grep egrep awk	option	option	option	option	n/a	option
Line anchor	`$` (dollar)	Matches before each line break in addition to matching at the end of the string, thus matching at the end of each line in the string.	`.$` matches `c` and `f` in `abc\ndef`	YES	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	option	YES	YES	basic extended grep egrep awk	option	option	option	option	n/a	option
String anchor	`\A`	Matches at the start of the string the regex pattern is applied to.	`\A\w` matches only `a` in `abc`	YES	YES	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES	default	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	no	ECMA extended egrep awk	no	no	no	YES	no	no
Attempt anchor	`\A`	Matches at the start of the match attempt.	`\A\w` matches `a`, `b`, and `c` when iterating over all matches in `abc def`	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	YES	no	no	no	no	no
Attempt anchor	`\G`	Matches at the start of the match attempt.	`\G\w` matches `a`, `b`, and `c` when iterating over all matches in `abc def`	YES	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	4.5–7.9	no	YES	YES	YES	YES	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no
Match anchor	`\G`	Matches at the end of the previous match during the second and following match attempts. Matches at the start of the string during the first match attempt.	`\G\w` matches `a`, `b`, and `c` when iterating over all matches in `abc def`	no	no	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES	no	YES	8.00	YES	no	no	no	no	no	ECMA extended egrep awk	no	no	no	no	no	no
String anchor	`\z`	Matches at the end of the string the regex pattern is applied to.	`\w\z` matches `f` in `abc\ndef` but fails to match `abc\ndef\n`	YES	no	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES	default	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	no	ECMA extended egrep awk	no	no	no	YES	no	no
String anchor	`\Z`	Matches at the end of the string the regex pattern is applied to.	`\w\Z` matches `f` in `abc\ndef` but fails to match `abc\ndef\n` or `abc\ndef\n\n`	no	YES	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	YES	no	no	no	no	no
String anchor	`\Z`	Matches at the end of the string as well as before the final line break in the string (if any).	`.\Z` matches `f` in `abc\ndef` and in `abc\ndef\n` but fails to match `abc\ndef\n\n`	YES	no	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	no	no	no	no	no	YES	no	no
String anchor	`\Z`	Matches at the end of the string as well as before all trailing line breaks in the string (if any).	`.\Z` matches `f` in `abc\ndef` and in `abc\ndef\n` and in `abc\ndef\n\n`	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	ECMA extended egrep awk	no	no	no	no	no	no
String anchor	\` (backslash backtick)	Matches at the start of the string the regex pattern is applied to.	\`\w matches only `a` in `abc`	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	ECMA extended egrep awk	no	no	no	no	no	no
Attempt anchor	\` (backslash backtick)	Matches at the start of the match attempt.	\`\w matches `a`, `b`, and `c` when iterating over all matches in `abc def`	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	YES	no	no	no
String anchor	`\'` (backslash quote)	Matches at the end of the string the regex pattern is applied to.	`\w\'` matches `f` in `abc\ndef` but fails to match `abc\ndef\n`	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	ECMA extended egrep awk	no	no	YES	no	no	no
Feature	Syntax	Description	Example	JGsoft	Python	JavaScript	VBScript	XRegExp	.NET	Java	ICU	RE2	Perl	PCRE	PCRE2	PHP	Delphi	R	Ruby	std::regex	Boost	Tcl	POSIX	GNU	Oracle	XML	XPath

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