The Regular Expression Component Library is an easy to use library for searching and/or replacing strings or data in files using regular expressions in non-managed C++ code. It supports both MFC programming using the MFC programming model and non-MFC programming. Both methods of programming support a properties, methods, and events model with VC++ in Visual Studio .NET 2003.

It has flexible expression options to match any type of regular expression syntax. There is extensive documentation to explain its use and the library is fully supported. The library is also fast and easy to use and the header files automatically link in the correct supporting libraries.

Regular expressions are a means of doing searching based on patterns adopted from the UNIX idea of regular expressions in various Unix tools.

The properties/methods/events model uses:

a) Properties for specifying a regular expression, string to match, file specification ( with wildcards ) to match, flexible options for regular expression syntax, flexible options for matching considerations, and other properties to enhance matching capabilities.

b) Methods to match a string in numerous ways; the entire string, the beginning of the string, anywhere in the string, multiple exclusive matches in a string. Methods to match file data; either a single match in a file or multiple matches in a file. A method to change data in a string or file based on format-like replacement syntax which can use the actual data found or one of its sub-expressions. A method for splitting strings based on regular expressions.

c) Events to handle the gathering of specific data for each of the matching methods. Most of the event handlers gain access to what the expression matches as well as to what each sub-expression of the expression matches.