C++ Academy · Lesson

Capturing Groups

Extract matched parts.

Capturing Groups is a free C++ Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 2 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the C++ Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

What Is a Capturing Group?

Parentheses in a pattern create a capturing group, remembering the part of the text they matched so you can extract it afterward.

(\\d+) captures a run of digits.
Results land in a std::smatch.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("(\\d+)");
    std::smatch m;
    std::string s = "order 42";
    if (std::regex_search(s, m, p)) {
        std::cout << "Captured: " << m[1] << '\n';
    }
    return 0;
}

The smatch Result

std::smatch stores the match results. Index [0] is the whole match, and [1], [2], ... are the capturing groups in order.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("(\\w+)@(\\w+)");
    std::smatch m;
    std::string s = "user@host";
    if (std::regex_search(s, m, p)) {
        std::cout << "Whole: " << m[0] << '\n';
        std::cout << "User: " << m[1] << ", Host: " << m[2] << '\n';
    }
    return 0;
}

Multiple Groups

You can capture several pieces at once, for example splitting a date into year, month, and day.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("(\\d{4})-(\\d{2})-(\\d{2})");
    std::smatch m;
    std::string s = "2026-05-30";
    if (std::regex_match(s, m, p)) {
        std::cout << "Y=" << m[1] << " M=" << m[2] << " D=" << m[3] << '\n';
    }
    return 0;
}

str(), position(), length()

Each group offers str() for its text, position() for its offset, and length() for its size within the input.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("(\\d+)");
    std::smatch m;
    std::string s = "abc 789 xyz";
    if (std::regex_search(s, m, p)) {
        std::cout << "str: " << m[1].str() << '\n';
        std::cout << "pos: " << m.position(1) << '\n';
        std::cout << "len: " << m.length(1) << '\n';
    }
    return 0;
}

Prefix and Suffix

The match object also exposes prefix() (text before the match) and suffix() (text after it).

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("\\d+");
    std::smatch m;
    std::string s = "left 55 right";
    if (std::regex_search(s, m, p)) {
        std::cout << "prefix: [" << m.prefix() << "]\n";
        std::cout << "suffix: [" << m.suffix() << "]\n";
    }
    return 0;
}

Non-Capturing Groups

Use (?:...) to group without capturing. This keeps your numbered groups meaningful when you only need grouping for quantifiers or alternation.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("(?:Mr|Ms) (\\w+)");
    std::smatch m;
    std::string s = "Ms Smith";
    if (std::regex_search(s, m, p)) {
        std::cout << "Name: " << m[1] << '\n';
    }
    return 0;
}

Checking If a Group Matched

An optional group may not participate in a match. Test matched on the submatch to see whether it captured anything.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("file(\\.txt)?");
    std::smatch m;
    std::string s = "file";
    if (std::regex_match(s, m, p)) {
        std::cout << std::boolalpha << "ext matched: " << m[1].matched << '\n';
    }
    return 0;
}

Iterating Over All Matches

std::sregex_iterator walks through every match in a string, giving you each group along the way.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("(\\d+)");
    std::string s = "a1 b22 c333";
    auto begin = std::sregex_iterator(s.begin(), s.end(), p);
    auto end = std::sregex_iterator();
    for (auto it = begin; it != end; ++it) {
        std::cout << (*it)[1] << '\n';
    }
    return 0;
}

Counting Matches

Combine the iterator with std::distance to count how many times a pattern occurs.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("\\d+");
    std::string s = "1 22 333 4444";
    auto begin = std::sregex_iterator(s.begin(), s.end(), p);
    auto end = std::sregex_iterator();
    std::cout << "Count: " << std::distance(begin, end) << '\n';
    return 0;
}

Extracting Key-Value Pairs

Two groups per match let you parse simple structured text, like key=value tokens.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>

int main() {
    std::regex p("(\\w+)=(\\w+)");
    std::string s = "a=1 b=2 c=3";
    auto begin = std::sregex_iterator(s.begin(), s.end(), p);
    auto end = std::sregex_iterator();
    for (auto it = begin; it != end; ++it) {
        std::cout << (*it)[1] << " -> " << (*it)[2] << '\n';
    }
    return 0;
}

Storing Captures

Copy a captured submatch into a std::string with str() so the data stays valid after the match object goes away.

#include <iostream>
#include <regex>
#include <string>

int main() {
    std::regex p("v(\\d+)");
    std::smatch m;
    std::string s = "version v7";
    std::string version;
    if (std::regex_search(s, m, p)) {
        version = m[1].str();
    }
    std::cout << "Stored: " << version << '\n';
    return 0;
}

Quick Check

Test your understanding of capture group indexing.

Recap

You learned how to extract data with capturing groups:

parentheses capture; (?:...) groups without capturing
smatch[0] is the whole match, [1]+ are groups
str(), position(), length(), prefix(), suffix()
sregex_iterator walks every match

Next, you will transform text using search and replace.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Capturing Groups” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Capturing Groups” is free to read here on the web, and the C++ Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the C++ Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Capturing Groups”?

Extract matched parts. You practise C++ Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start C++ Academy?

No prior experience is required. C++ Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 2 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Capturing Groups” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this C++ Academy lesson?

Yes. Every C++ Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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