---
name: "pcre2_pattern_convert"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "pcre2"
version: "10.49-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pcre2_pattern_convert"
---

# pcre2\_pattern\_convert(3)

Perl-compatible regular expressions (revised API)

## NAME

PCRE2 - Perl-compatible regular expressions (revised API)

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<pcre2.h\>**

```
int pcre2_pattern_convert(PCRE2_SPTR pattern, PCRE2_SIZE length,
  uint32_t options, PCRE2_UCHAR **buffer,
  PCRE2_SIZE *blength, pcre2_convert_context *cvcontext);
```

## DESCRIPTION

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:

  *pattern*     The foreign pattern\
   *length*      The length of the input pattern or PCRE2\_ZERO\_TERMINATED\
   *options*     Option bits\
   *buffer*      Pointer to pointer to output buffer, or NULL\
   *blength*     Pointer to output length field\
   *cvcontext*   Pointer to a convert context or NULL

The length of the converted pattern (excluding the terminating zero) is returned via *blength*. If *buffer* is NULL, the function just returns the output length. If *buffer* points to a NULL pointer, heap memory is obtained for the converted pattern, using the allocator in the context if present (or else **malloc()**), and the field pointed to by *buffer* is updated. If *buffer* points to a non-NULL field, that must point to a buffer whose size is in the variable pointed to by *blength*. This value is updated.

The option bits are:

  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

The return value from **pcre2\_pattern\_convert()** is zero on success or a non-zero PCRE2 error code.

The pattern conversion functions are described in the **pcre2convert** documentation.