.TH PCRE2_PATTERN_CONVERT 3 "11 July 2017" "PCRE2 10.30"
.SH NAME
PCRE2 - Perl-compatible regular expressions (revised API)
.SH SYNOPSIS
.rs
.sp
.B #include <pcre2.h>
.PP
.nf
.B int pcre2_pattern_convert(PCRE2_SPTR \fIpattern\fP, PCRE2_SIZE \fIlength\fP,
.B "  uint32_t \fIoptions\fP, PCRE2_UCHAR **\fIbuffer\fP,"
.B "  PCRE2_SIZE *\fIblength\fP, pcre2_convert_context *\fIcvcontext\fP);"
.fi
.
.SH DESCRIPTION
.rs
.sp
This function is part of an experimental set of pattern conversion functions.
It converts a foreign pattern (for example, a glob) into a PCRE2 regular
expression pattern. Its arguments are:
.sp
  \fIpattern\fP     The foreign pattern
  \fIlength\fP      The length of the input pattern or PCRE2_ZERO_TERMINATED
  \fIoptions\fP     Option bits
  \fIbuffer\fP      Pointer to pointer to output buffer, or NULL
  \fIblength\fP     Pointer to output length field
  \fIcvcontext\fP   Pointer to a convert context or NULL
.sp
The length of the converted pattern (excluding the terminating zero) is
returned via \fIblength\fP. If \fIbuffer\fP is NULL, the function just returns
the output length. If \fIbuffer\fP points to a NULL pointer, heap memory is
obtained for the converted pattern, using the allocator in the context if
present (or else \fBmalloc()\fP), and the field pointed to by \fIbuffer\fP is
updated. If \fIbuffer\fP points to a non-NULL field, that must point to a
buffer whose size is in the variable pointed to by \fIblength\fP. This value is
updated.
.P
The option bits are:
.sp
  PCRE2_CONVERT_UTF                     Input is UTF
  PCRE2_CONVERT_NO_UTF_CHECK            Do not check UTF validity
  PCRE2_CONVERT_POSIX_BASIC             Convert POSIX basic pattern
  PCRE2_CONVERT_POSIX_EXTENDED          Convert POSIX extended pattern
  PCRE2_CONVERT_GLOB                    ) Convert
  PCRE2_CONVERT_GLOB_NO_WILD_SEPARATOR  )   various types
  PCRE2_CONVERT_GLOB_NO_STARSTAR        )     of glob
.sp
The return value from \fBpcre2_pattern_convert()\fP is zero on success or a
non-zero PCRE2 error code.
.P
The pattern conversion functions are described in the
.\" HREF
\fBpcre2convert\fP
.\"
documentation.