Definitions

Look ahead positive (?=)

Find expression A where expression B follows:

A(?=B)

Look ahead negative (?!)

Find expression A where expression B does not follow:

A(?!B)

Look behind positive (?<=)

Find expression A where expression B precedes:

(?<=B)A

Look behind negative (?<!)

Find expression A where expression B does not precede:

(?<!B)A

Atomic groups (?>)

An atomic group exits a group and throws away alternative patterns after the first matched pattern inside the group (backtracking is disabled).

• (?>foo|foot)s applied to foots will match its 1st alternative foo, then fail as s does not immediately follow, and stop as backtracking is disabled

A non-atomic group will allow backtracking; if subsequent matching ahead fails, it will backtrack and use alternative patterns until a match for the entire expression is found or all possibilities are exhausted.

(foo|foot)s applied to foots will:

1. match its 1st alternative foo, then fail as s does not immediately follow in foots, and backtrack to its 2nd alternative;
2. match its 2nd alternative foot, then succeed as s immediately follows in foots, and stop.