: [[image:iciclesimage]]

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== Inserting a Regexp from a Variable or Register ==

[[regexp | Regexps]] are powerful, but they can sometimes be complex to compose
and hard to remember, once composed.  A shortcut is to compose a
regexp that you want to use and assign it to an Emacs
[[variable]] or [[register]].

If you assign it to a register (using `C-x r s'), then you can use
`C-x r i' (`insert-register') in the [[minibuffer]] to insert it.  If
you assign it to a string, then you can use '''`##C-=##'''' 
(`icicle-insert-string-from-variable') to insert it.


If you use `##C-u C-=##' (provide a [[prefix argument]]) then you are
prompted for the variable to use.  Completion candidates for this
include all string-valued variables.  Without `C-u', the default variable is used (no prompting),
'''`icicle-input-string''''.  So for example, if `icicle-input-string'
had value ##"[a-zA-Z]+"## then it would match any [[completion]] candidate
composed only of letters.  You can customize `icicle-input-string'.

For convenience, instead of using Lisp evaluation of a [[sexp]] such
as ##(setq icicle-input-string "[a-zA-Z]+")## or ##(setq my-var ".*")##,
you can use '''Icicles''' command '''`icicle-save-string-to-variable'''' to
save a regexp to a variable.  You are prompted for the regexp to
save.  Just as for `icicle-insert-string-from-variable', with a
prefix argument you are prompted for the variable to use (all
variables are completion candidates).  With no
prefix argument the regexp is saved to variable
`icicle-input-string'.

Another way of inserting a string into the minibuffer is to use a
negative prefix argument with `##M-:##'
(e.g. `##M-- M-:##') during minibuffer
input.  With this method, you can type not only a string-valued
variable name but any EmacsLisp expression. The expression need
not evaluate to a string -- whatever the result of evaluation is,
it is pretty-printed in the minibuffer, to be used as part of your
input text.

These shortcut features are especially convenient for use with
command `icicle-search' -- you can use it to search text for
sentences, paragraphs, file names, URLs, dates, times, function
definitions, and any other text entities that
you can specify by regexp.  Create a ''library'' of regexp-valued variables that are
useful to you, and use `##C-=##' to quickly access them in
`icicle-search'.  See [[Icicles - Search Commands, Overview]] for
more information.

These shortcuts are also handy for [[Isearch]], in particular, regexp
search.  Use `M-e' after `C-M-s', to edit the search string (which
puts you in a minibuffer), then use `##C-u C-=##' or `C-x r i' to insert a saved
regexp.

'''See Also:'''

* [[Icicles - Inserting Text from Cursor]]
* [[Icicles - Multi-Inputs]] for ways to act on multiple minibuffer insertions all at once.








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