Pattern quote(String) method in Java with Examples

Last Updated : 13 Feb, 2023

quote(String) method of a Pattern class used to returns a literal pattern String for the specified String passed as parameter to method.This method produces a String equivalent to s that can be used to create a Pattern. Metacharacters or escape sequences in the input sequence will be given no special meaning. If you compile the value returned by the quote method, you'll get a Pattern which matches the literal string that you passed as a parameter to method.\Q and \E mark the beginning and end of the quoted part of the string. Syntax:

public static String quote(String s)

Parameters: This method accepts a single parameter s which represents the string to be literalized. Return value: This method returns a literal string replacement for String s. Below programs illustrate the quote() method: Program 1:

Java

// Java program to demonstrate
// Pattern.quote() method

import java.util.regex.*;

public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // create a REGEX String
        String REGEX = &quot;ee&quot;;

        // create the string
        // in which you want to search
        String actualString
            = &quot;geeksforgeeks&quot;;

        // create equivalent String for REGEX
        String eqREGEX = Pattern.quote(REGEX);

        // create a Pattern using eqREGEX
        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(eqREGEX);

        // get a matcher object
        Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(actualString);

        // print values if match found
        boolean matchfound = false;
        while (matcher.find()) {
            System.out.println(&quot;found the Regex in text:&quot;
                               + matcher.group()
                               + &quot; starting index:&quot;
                               + matcher.start()
                               + &quot; and ending index:&quot;
                               + matcher.end());

            matchfound = true;
        }
        if (!matchfound) {
            System.out.println(&quot;No match found for Regex.&quot;);
        }
    }
}

Output:

found the Regex in text:ee starting index:1 and ending index:3
found the Regex in text:ee starting index:9 and ending index:11

Time Complexity : O(n)

Space Complexity : O(1)

Program 2:

Java

// Java program to demonstrate
// Pattern.quote() method

import java.util.regex.*;

public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // create a REGEX String
        String REGEX = &quot;welcome&quot;;

        // create the string
        // in which you want to search
        String actualString
            = &quot;welcome to jungle&quot;;

        // create equivalent String for REGEX
        String eqREGEX = Pattern.quote(REGEX);

        // create a Pattern using eqREGEX
        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(eqREGEX);

        // get a matcher object
        Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(actualString);

        // print values if match found
        boolean matchfound = false;
        while (matcher.find()) {
            System.out.println(&quot;match found&quot;);
            matchfound = true;
        }
        if (!matchfound) {
            System.out.println(&quot;No match found&quot;);
        }
    }
}