Pattern Breakdown
Understanding the regex pattern ^\s*$:
- ^ - Start of string
- $ - End of string
- \s - Whitespace character
- * - Zero or more
Examples
| Input | Result | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
✓ Match | Empty string |
|
✓ Match | Only spaces |
text |
✗ No Match | Has content |
Code Examples
JavaScript
JavaScript
const pattern = /^\s*$/;
const text = "test";
// Test if string matches
if (pattern.test(text)) {
console.log("Valid!");
}
// Extract matches
const matches = text.match(pattern);
console.log(matches);
Python
Python
import re
pattern = r'^\s*$'
text = "test"
# Test if string matches
if re.match(pattern, text):
print("Valid!")
# Find all matches
matches = re.findall(pattern, text)
print(matches)
PHP
PHP
<?php
$pattern = '/^\s*$/';
$text = "test";
// Test if string matches
if (preg_match($pattern, $text)) {
echo "Valid!";
}
// Find all matches
preg_match_all($pattern, $text, $matches);
print_r($matches);
?>
Java
Java
import java.util.regex.*;
String pattern = "^\\s*$";
String text = "test";
Pattern p = Pattern.compile(pattern);
Matcher m = p.matcher(text);
if (m.matches()) {
System.out.println("Valid!");
}
Use Cases
Common applications: Text processing, file cleanup
- Form validation and input sanitization
- Data extraction and parsing
- Search and replace operations
- API request/response validation
- Log file analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the regex pattern for empty lines regex?
The regex pattern is: ^\s*$. Match empty lines or lines containing only whitespace.
How do I use the empty lines regex pattern in JavaScript?
In JavaScript: const regex = new RegExp('^\\s*$'); or const regex = /^\s*$/;
Does this pattern work in Python?
Yes, use: import re; pattern = re.compile(r'^\s*$') in Python. Most regex patterns are cross-language compatible.
What are common use cases for empty lines regex?
Text processing, file cleanup
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