Learn the Basics of Regular Expressions
Get a taste of regular expressions (regex), a powerful search pattern language to quickly find the text you’re looking for.
Skill level
BeginnerTime to complete
Average based on combined completion rates — individual pacing in lessons, projects, and quizzes may vary1 hourPrerequisites
None
About this course
Regular expressions (regex) are a versatile tool for working with strings and text patterns. Whether you’re searching for specific content, validating user input, or testing code, regex enables efficient pattern matching. This course will teach you how to build and apply regular expressions in various programming languages, empowering you to handle text-processing tasks with ease.
Skills you'll gain
Learn regex syntax, literals, and wildcards for pattern matching
Use quantifiers, alternation, and anchors for flexible searches
Apply grouping, shorthand classes, and ranges in regex
Syllabus
Introduction to Regular Expressions
Get a taste of regular expressions (regex), a powerful search pattern language to quickly find the text you’re looking for.
Certificate of completion available with Plus or Pro
Earn a certificate of completion and showcase your accomplishment on your resume or LinkedIn.
Earn a certificate of completion
Show your network you've done the work by earning a certificate of completion for each course or path you finish.- Show proofReceive a certificate that demonstrates you've completed a course or path.
- Build a collectionThe more courses and paths you complete, the more certificates you collect.
- Share with your networkEasily add certificates of completion to your LinkedIn profile to share your accomplishments.
Learn the Basics of Regular Expressions course ratings and reviews
- 5 stars
- 4 stars
- 3 stars
- 2 stars
- 1 star
- The progress I have made since starting to use codecademy is immense! I can study for short periods or long periods at my own convenience - mostly late in the evenings.ChrisCodecademy Learner @ USA
- I felt like I learned months in a week. I love how Codecademy uses learning by practice and gives great challenges to help the learner to understand a new concept and subject.RodrigoCodecademy Learner @ UK
- Brilliant learning experience. Very interactive. Literally a game changer if you're learning on your own.John-AndrewCodecademy Learner @ USA
Our learners work at
Frequently asked questions about the Basics of Regular Expressions
Regular expressions (RegExs) are sequences of characters defining a pattern of text that needs to be found.
Join over 50 million learners and start Learn the Basics of Regular Expressions today!
Looking for something else?
Related resources
- Article
How Users Scan: Learning from Eye Tracking Research
Eye-tracking studies can show how users consume content online and help designers create compelling layouts. - Article
Comparison and Logical Operators
Use this article as a reference sheet for JavaScript comparison and logical operators. - Article
How to Remove Characters from a String in Python
Learn how to remove characters from a Python string using `rstrip()`, `replace()`, and `re.sub()` with examples.
Related courses and paths
- Learn about regex, or regular expressions, and how to work with them in Java.
- Intermediate.1 hour
- Apply regular expressions (regex) and other natural language parsing tactics to find meaning and insights in the texts you read every day.
- With Certificate
- Intermediate.2 hours
- Learn to clean text with Python 3 using regular expressions (regex) and NLTK.
- With Certificate
- Intermediate.2 hours
Browse more topics
- Web development5,645,248 learners enrolled
- Data science5,236,246 learners enrolled
- Computer science6,906,900 learners enrolled
- Code foundations8,417,512 learners enrolled
- Python4,232,547 learners enrolled
- For business4,032,953 learners enrolled
- JavaScript3,170,859 learners enrolled
- Data analytics3,136,310 learners enrolled
- IT3,084,895 learners enrolled
Unlock additional features with a paid plan
Practice Projects
Guided projects that help you solidify the skills and concepts you're learning.Assessments
Auto-graded quizzes and immediate feedback help you reinforce your skills as you learn.Certificate of Completion
Earn a document to prove you've completed a course or path that you can share with your network.