Examples
Search for "Blue":
let text = "Mr. Blue has a blue house";
let position = text.search["Blue"];
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Search for "blue":
let text = "Mr. Blue has a blue house";
let position = text.search["blue"];
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Search for /Blue/:
let text = "Mr. Blue has a blue house";
let position = text.search[/Blue/];
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Search for /blue/:
let text = "Mr. Blue has a blue house";
let position = text.search[/blue/];
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Search case insensitive:
let text = "Mr. Blue has a blue house";
let position = text.search[/blue/i];
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Definition and Usage
The search[] method matches a string against a regular expression **
The search[] method returns the index [position] of the first match.
The search[] method returns -1 if no match is found.
The search[]
method is case sensitive.
Syntax
string.search[searchValue]
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
| searchValue | Required. The search value. A regular expression [or a string that will be converted to a regular expression]. |
Return Value
| Type | Description |
| A number | The position of the first match. -1 if no match. |
The Difference Between
String search[] and String indexOf[]
The search[] cannot take a start position argument.
The indexOf[] method cannot search against a regular expression.
The Difference Between
String search[] and String match[]
The search[] method returns the position of the first match.
The match[] method returns an array of matches.
Regular Expression Search Methods
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:
| text.match[pattern] | The String method match[] |
| text.search[pattern] | The String method search[] |
| pattern.exec[text] | The RexExp method exec[] |
| pattern.test[text] | The RegExp method test[] |
Browser Support
search[] is an ECMAScript1 [ES1] feature.
ES1 [JavaScript 1997] is fully supported in all browsers:
| Chrome | IE | Edge | Firefox | Safari | Opera |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Examples
Search a string for "welcome":
let text = "Hello world, welcome to the universe.";
let result = text.indexOf["welcome"];
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Search a string for "Welcome":
let text = "Hello world, welcome to the universe.";
let result = text.indexOf["Welcome"];
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Find the first occurrence of "e":
let text = "Hello world, welcome to the universe.";
text.indexOf["e"];
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Find the first occurrence of "e", starting at position 5:
let text = "Hello world, welcome to the universe.";
text.indexOf["e", 5];
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Find the first occurrence of "a":
let text = "Hello world, welcome to the universe.";
text.indexOf["a"];
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Definition and Usage
The indexOf[] method returns the position of the first
occurrence of a value in a string.
The indexOf[] method returns -1 if the value is not found.
The indexOf[] method is case sensitive.
Syntax
string.indexOf[searchvalue, start]
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
| searchvalue | Required. The string to search for. |
| start | Optional. The position to start from [default is 0]. |
Return Value
| Type | Description |
| A number | The first position where the search-value occurs. -1 if it never occurs. |
The Differense Between
String indexOf[] and String search[]
The indexOf[] method cannot search against a regular expression.
The search[] cannot take a start position argument.
Browser Support
indexOf[] is an ECMAScript1 [ES1] feature.
ES1 [JavaScript 1997] is fully supported in all browsers:
| Chrome | IE | Edge | Firefox | Safari | Opera |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |