regexExecutors

Reports String.prototype.match calls that can be replaced with RegExp.prototype.exec.

✅ This rule is included in the ts stylisticStrict presets.

Reports calls to String.prototype.match() that should use RegExp.prototype.exec() instead. When a regular expression does not have the global flag (g), both methods behave identically, but exec() is clearer in intent and may be slightly faster.

Examples

const 
const result: RegExpMatchArray | null
result = "something".
String.match(matcher: {
    [Symbol.match](string: string): RegExpMatchArray | null;
}): RegExpMatchArray | null (+1 overload)
Matches a string or an object that supports being matched against, and returns an array
containing the results of that search, or null if no matches are found.
@param ― matcher An object that supports being matched against.
match(/thing/);

const 
const result: RegExpExecArray | null
result = /thing/.
RegExp.exec(string: string): RegExpExecArray | null
Executes a search on a string using a regular expression pattern, and returns an array containing the results of that search.
@param ― string The String object or string literal on which to perform the search.
exec("something");

Variable with Regex

❌ Incorrect
✅ Correct

const 
const text: "something"
text = "something";
const 
const result: RegExpMatchArray | null
result = 
const text: "something"
text.
String.match(matcher: {
    [Symbol.match](string: string): RegExpMatchArray | null;
}): RegExpMatchArray | null (+1 overload)
Matches a string or an object that supports being matched against, and returns an array
containing the results of that search, or null if no matches are found.
@param ― matcher An object that supports being matched against.
match(/pattern/);

const 
const text: "something"
text = "something";
const 
const result: RegExpExecArray | null
result = /pattern/.
RegExp.exec(string: string): RegExpExecArray | null
Executes a search on a string using a regular expression pattern, and returns an array containing the results of that search.
@param ― string The String object or string literal on which to perform the search.
exec(
const text: "something"
text);

RegExp Constructor

❌ Incorrect
✅ Correct

const 
const result: RegExpMatchArray | null
result = "something".
String.match(matcher: {
    [Symbol.match](string: string): RegExpMatchArray | null;
}): RegExpMatchArray | null (+1 overload)
Matches a string or an object that supports being matched against, and returns an array
containing the results of that search, or null if no matches are found.
@param ― matcher An object that supports being matched against.
match(new 
var RegExp: RegExpConstructor
new (pattern: RegExp | string, flags?: string) => RegExp (+2 overloads)
RegExp("thing"));

const 
const result: RegExpExecArray | null
result = new 
var RegExp: RegExpConstructor
new (pattern: RegExp | string, flags?: string) => RegExp (+2 overloads)
RegExp("thing").
RegExp.exec(string: string): RegExpExecArray | null
Executes a search on a string using a regular expression pattern, and returns an array containing the results of that search.
@param ― string The String object or string literal on which to perform the search.
exec("something");

Global Flag (Valid)

Using the global flag with match() is valid because it returns all matches:

const 
const allMatches: RegExpMatchArray | null
allMatches = "one two three".
String.match(matcher: {
    [Symbol.match](string: string): RegExpMatchArray | null;
}): RegExpMatchArray | null (+1 overload)
Matches a string or an object that supports being matched against, and returns an array
containing the results of that search, or null if no matches are found.
@param ― matcher An object that supports being matched against.
match(/\w+/g);

Options

This rule is not configurable.

When Not To Use It

If you prefer consistent use of String.prototype.match() regardless of whether the global flag is present, you may disable this rule.

Equivalents in Other Linters

ESLint: @typescript-eslint/prefer-regexp-execregexp/prefer-regexp-exec

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