Updated function names, addeed new function 'FindString' that returns the _text_ of the match

matching.go

@@ -138,10 +138,29 @@ func pruneIndices(indices []Match) []Match {
 	return toRet
 }
 
-// findNthMatch finds the 'n'th match of the regex represented by the given start-state, with
+// FindString returns a _string_ containing the _text_ of the _leftmost_ match of
+// the regex, in the given string. The return value will be an empty string in two situations:
+//  1. No match was found
+//  2. The match was an empty string
+func FindString(regex Reg, str string) string {
+	match, err := FindNthMatch(regex, str, 1)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return str[match[0].startIdx:match[0].endIdx]
+}
+
+// FindAllString is the 'all' version of FindString.
+// It returns a _slice of strings_ containing the _text_ of _all_ matches of
+// the regex, in the given string.
+//func FindAllString(regex Reg, str []string) []string {
+//
+//}
+
+// FindNthMatch finds the 'n'th match of the regex represented by the given start-state, with
 // the given string.
 // It returns an error (!= nil) if there are fewer than 'n' matches in the string.
-func findNthMatch(regex Reg, str string, n int) (Match, error) {
+func FindNthMatch(regex Reg, str string, n int) (Match, error) {
 	idx := 0
 	matchNum := 0
 	str_runes := []rune(str)
@@ -160,9 +179,9 @@ func findNthMatch(regex Reg, str string, n int) (Match, error) {
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid match index. Too few matches found.")
 }
 
-// findAllMatches tries to find all matches of the regex represented by given start-state, with
+// FindAllMatches tries to find all matches of the regex represented by given start-state, with
 // the given string
-func findAllMatches(regex Reg, str string) []Match {
+func FindAllMatches(regex Reg, str string) []Match {
 	idx := 0
 	str_runes := []rune(str)
 	var matchFound bool
@@ -180,7 +199,7 @@ func findAllMatches(regex Reg, str string) []Match {
 	return indices
 }
 
-// Helper for findAllMatches. Returns whether it found a match, the
+// Helper for FindAllMatches. Returns whether it found a match, the
 // first Match it finds, and how far it got into the string ie. where
 // the next search should start from.
 //