Pattern flags() method in Java with Examples

Last Updated : 19 Aug, 2019

The flags() method of the Pattern class in Java is used to return the pattern’s match flags. The Match flags are a bit mask that may include CASE_INSENSITIVE, MULTILINE, DOTALL, UNICODE_CASE, CANON_EQ, UNIX_LINES, LITERAL, UNICODE_CHARACTER_CLASS and COMMENTS Flags.

Syntax:

public int flags()

Parameters: This method does not accepts any parameters.

Return Value: This method returns the pattern’s match flag.

Below programs illustrate the flags() method:

Program 1:

// Java program to demonstrate
// Pattern.flags() method
  
import java.util.regex.*;
  
public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // create a REGEX String
        String REGEX = "(.*)(for)(.*)?";
  
        // create the string
        // in which you want to search
        String actualString
            = "code of Machine";
  
        // compile the regex to create pattern
        // using compile() method
        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(REGEX, 
                         Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
  
        // find the flag of pattern
        int flag = pattern.flags();
  
        System.out.println("Pattern's match flag = "
                           + flag);
    }
}

Output:

Pattern's match flag = 2

Program 2:

// Java program to demonstrate
// Pattern.compile method
  
import java.util.regex.*;
  
public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
  
        // create a REGEX String
        String REGEX = "(.*)(ee)(.*)?";
  
        // create the string
        // in which you want to search
        String actualString
            = "geeks";
  
        // compile the regex to create pattern
        // using compile() method
        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(REGEX, 
                                 Pattern.MULTILINE);
  
        // find the flag of pattern
        int flag = pattern.flags();
  
        System.out.println("Pattern's match flag = "
                           + flag);
    }
}

Output:

Pattern's match flag = 8

References:
https://docs.oracle.com/javase/10/docs/api/java/util/regex/Pattern.html#flags()

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