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Oracle® Database SQL Language Reference
11g Release 2 (11.2)

Part Number E10592-02
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REGEXP_COUNT

Syntax

Description of regexp_count.gif follows
Description of the illustration regexp_count.gif

Purpose

REGEXP_COUNT complements the functionality of the REGEXP_INSTR function by returning the number of times a pattern occurs in a source string. The function evaluates strings using characters as defined by the input character set. It returns an integer indicating the number of occurrences of pattern. If no match is found, then the function returns 0.

Examples

The following example shows that subexpressions parentheses in pattern are ignored:

SELECT REGEXP_COUNT('123123123123123', '(12)3', 1, 'i') REGEXP_COUNT
   FROM DUAL;
 
REGEXP_COUNT
------------
           5

In the following example, the function begins to evaluate the source string at the third character, so skips over the first occurrence of pattern:

SELECT REGEXP_COUNT('123123123123', '123', 3, 'i') COUNT FROM DUAL; 

     COUNT
----------
         3