---
description: 'Enforce `RegExp#exec` over `String#match` if no global flag is provided.'
---

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

> 🛑 This file is source code, not the primary documentation location! 🛑
>
> See **https://typescript-eslint.io/rules/prefer-regexp-exec** for documentation.

`String#match` is defined to work the same as `RegExp#exec` when the regular expression does not include the `g` flag.
Keeping to consistently using one of the two can help improve code readability.

This rule reports when a `String#match` call can be replaced with an equivalent `RegExp#exec`.

> `RegExp#exec` may also be slightly faster than `String#match`; this is the reason to choose it as the preferred usage.

## Examples

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="❌ Incorrect">

```ts
'something'.match(/thing/);

'some things are just things'.match(/thing/);

const text = 'something';
const search = /thing/;
text.match(search);
```

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="✅ Correct">

```ts
/thing/.exec('something');

'some things are just things'.match(/thing/g);

const text = 'something';
const search = /thing/;
search.exec(text);
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## When Not To Use It

If you prefer consistent use of `String#match` for both with `g` flag and without it, you can turn this rule off.