The following regular expression characters add optional quantity data to a regular expression. A quantifier expression applies to the character, group, or character class that immediately precedes it.
Note: The .NET Framework regular expressions support minimal matching (i.e., "lazy") quantifiers.
| Regular Expression | Description |
|---|---|
| * | Zero or more matches. For example, \w* or (abc)*. Equivalent to {0,}. |
| + | One or more matches. For example, \w+ or (abc)+. Equivalent to {1,}. |
| ? | Zero or one matches. For example, \w? or (abc)?. Equivalent to {0,1}. |
| {n} | Exactly n matches. For example, (pizza){2}. |
| {n,} | At least n matches. For example, (abc){2,}. |
| {n,m} | At least n, but no more than m, matches. |