regexTestMethods

Reports match() and exec() calls that should use RegExp.prototype.test() for boolean checks.

✅ This rule is included in the ts stylistic and stylisticStrict presets.

Two common regular expression methods exist for checking whether a pattern exists in a string:

exec(): returns a full matches array, including capture groups, which requires more work than just boolean checking.
test(): only returns a boolean, which is more efficient and semantically clearer when only checking for pattern existence.

This rule reports calls to String.prototype.match() and RegExp.prototype.exec() that are used in a boolean context.

Examples

if (
const pattern: RegExp
pattern.
RegExp.exec(string: string): RegExpExecArray | null
Executes a search on a string using a regular expression pattern, and returns an array containing the results of that search.
@param ― string The String object or string literal on which to perform the search.
exec(
const text: string
text)) {
  
var console: Console
The console module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.
The module exports two specific components:

A Console class with methods such as console.log(), console.error() and console.warn() that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
A global console instance configured to write to process.stdout and
process.stderr. The global console can be used without importing the node:console module.

Warning: The global console object's methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the note on process I/O for
more information.
Example using the global console:
console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
//   Error: Whoops, something bad happened
//     at [eval]:5:15
//     at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
//     at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
//     at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
//     at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
//     at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
//     at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3

const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
Example using the Console class:
const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);

myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err

const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
@see ― source
console.
Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+1 overload)
Prints to stdout with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to printf(3)
(the arguments are all passed to util.format()).
const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
See util.format() for more information.
@since ― v0.1.100
log("found");
}

if (
const pattern: RegExp
pattern.
RegExp.test(string: string): boolean
Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether or not a pattern exists in a searched string.
@param ― string String on which to perform the search.
test(
const text: string
text)) {
  
var console: Console
The console module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.
The module exports two specific components:

A Console class with methods such as console.log(), console.error() and console.warn() that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
A global console instance configured to write to process.stdout and
process.stderr. The global console can be used without importing the node:console module.

Warning: The global console object's methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the note on process I/O for
more information.
Example using the global console:
console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
//   Error: Whoops, something bad happened
//     at [eval]:5:15
//     at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
//     at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
//     at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
//     at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
//     at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
//     at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3

const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
Example using the Console class:
const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);

myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err

const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
@see ― source
console.
Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+1 overload)
Prints to stdout with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to printf(3)
(the arguments are all passed to util.format()).
const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
See util.format() for more information.
@since ― v0.1.100
log("found");
}

Using match() in a Condition

❌ Incorrect
✅ Correct

if (
const text: string
text.
String.match(matcher: {
    [Symbol.match](string: string): RegExpMatchArray | null;
}): RegExpMatchArray | null (+1 overload)
Matches a string or an object that supports being matched against, and returns an array
containing the results of that search, or null if no matches are found.
@param ― matcher An object that supports being matched against.
match(/search/)) {
  
var console: Console
The console module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.
The module exports two specific components:

A Console class with methods such as console.log(), console.error() and console.warn() that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
A global console instance configured to write to process.stdout and
process.stderr. The global console can be used without importing the node:console module.

Warning: The global console object's methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the note on process I/O for
more information.
Example using the global console:
console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
//   Error: Whoops, something bad happened
//     at [eval]:5:15
//     at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
//     at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
//     at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
//     at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
//     at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
//     at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3

const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
Example using the Console class:
const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);

myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err

const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
@see ― source
console.
Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+1 overload)
Prints to stdout with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to printf(3)
(the arguments are all passed to util.format()).
const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
See util.format() for more information.
@since ― v0.1.100
log("found");
}

if (/search/.
RegExp.test(string: string): boolean
Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether or not a pattern exists in a searched string.
@param ― string String on which to perform the search.
test(
const text: string
text)) {
  
var console: Console
The console module provides a simple debugging console that is similar to the
JavaScript console mechanism provided by web browsers.
The module exports two specific components:

A Console class with methods such as console.log(), console.error() and console.warn() that can be used to write to any Node.js stream.
A global console instance configured to write to process.stdout and
process.stderr. The global console can be used without importing the node:console module.

Warning: The global console object's methods are neither consistently
synchronous like the browser APIs they resemble, nor are they consistently
asynchronous like all other Node.js streams. See the note on process I/O for
more information.
Example using the global console:
console.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to stdout
console.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints error message and stack trace to stderr:
//   Error: Whoops, something bad happened
//     at [eval]:5:15
//     at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:132:18)
//     at Object.runInThisContext (node:vm:309:38)
//     at node:internal/process/execution:77:19
//     at [eval]-wrapper:6:22
//     at evalScript (node:internal/process/execution:76:60)
//     at node:internal/main/eval_string:23:3

const name = 'Will Robinson';
console.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to stderr
Example using the Console class:
const out = getStreamSomehow();
const err = getStreamSomehow();
const myConsole = new console.Console(out, err);

myConsole.log('hello world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.log('hello %s', 'world');
// Prints: hello world, to out
myConsole.error(new Error('Whoops, something bad happened'));
// Prints: [Error: Whoops, something bad happened], to err

const name = 'Will Robinson';
myConsole.warn(`Danger ${name}! Danger!`);
// Prints: Danger Will Robinson! Danger!, to err
@see ― source
console.
Console.log(message?: any, ...optionalParams: any[]): void (+1 overload)
Prints to stdout with newline. Multiple arguments can be passed, with the
first used as the primary message and all additional used as substitution
values similar to printf(3)
(the arguments are all passed to util.format()).
const count = 5;
console.log('count: %d', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
console.log('count:', count);
// Prints: count: 5, to stdout
See util.format() for more information.
@since ― v0.1.100
log("found");
}

Negation

❌ Incorrect
✅ Correct

const 
const notFound: boolean
notFound = !
const text: string
text.
String.match(matcher: {
    [Symbol.match](string: string): RegExpMatchArray | null;
}): RegExpMatchArray | null (+1 overload)
Matches a string or an object that supports being matched against, and returns an array
containing the results of that search, or null if no matches are found.
@param ― matcher An object that supports being matched against.
match(/pattern/);

const 
const notFound: boolean
notFound = !/pattern/.
RegExp.test(string: string): boolean
Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether or not a pattern exists in a searched string.
@param ― string String on which to perform the search.
test(
const text: string
text);

Global Flag (No Fix)

When the regex has a global flag, the rule reports but does not auto-fix because .test() behavior differs:

// Reports but does not auto-fix
if (
const text: string
text.
String.match(matcher: {
    [Symbol.match](string: string): RegExpMatchArray | null;
}): RegExpMatchArray | null (+1 overload)
Matches a string or an object that supports being matched against, and returns an array
containing the results of that search, or null if no matches are found.
@param ― matcher An object that supports being matched against.
match(/pattern/g)) {
}

Using Results (Valid)

Using the result of exec() or match() is valid:

const 
const matches: RegExpMatchArray | null
matches = 
const text: string
text.
String.match(matcher: {
    [Symbol.match](string: string): RegExpMatchArray | null;
}): RegExpMatchArray | null (+1 overload)
Matches a string or an object that supports being matched against, and returns an array
containing the results of that search, or null if no matches are found.
@param ― matcher An object that supports being matched against.
match(/(\w+)/);
const 
const group: string | undefined
group = 
const pattern: RegExp
pattern.
RegExp.exec(string: string): RegExpExecArray | null
Executes a search on a string using a regular expression pattern, and returns an array containing the results of that search.
@param ― string The String object or string literal on which to perform the search.
exec(
const text: string
text)?.[1];

Options

This rule is not configurable.

When Not To Use It

If you prefer the semantics of exec() or match() even in boolean contexts, you might prefer to disable this rule. For example, some developers prefer to always use the same methods for stylistic consistency.

Equivalents in Other Linters

ESLint: regexp/prefer-regexp-testunicorn/prefer-regexp-test
Oxlint: unicorn/prefer-regexp-test

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