| # emoji-regex [](https://travis-ci.org/mathiasbynens/emoji-regex) | |
| _emoji-regex_ offers a regular expression to match all emoji symbols and sequences (including textual representations of emoji) as per the Unicode Standard. | |
| This repository contains a script that generates this regular expression based on [Unicode data](https://github.com/node-unicode/node-unicode-data). Because of this, the regular expression can easily be updated whenever new emoji are added to the Unicode standard. | |
| ## Installation | |
| Via [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/): | |
| ```bash | |
| npm install emoji-regex | |
| ``` | |
| In [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/): | |
| ```js | |
| const emojiRegex = require('emoji-regex/RGI_Emoji.js'); | |
| // Note: because the regular expression has the global flag set, this module | |
| // exports a function that returns the regex rather than exporting the regular | |
| // expression itself, to make it impossible to (accidentally) mutate the | |
| // original regular expression. | |
| const text = ` | |
| \u{231A}: β default emoji presentation character (Emoji_Presentation) | |
| \u{2194}\u{FE0F}: βοΈ default text presentation character rendered as emoji | |
| \u{1F469}: π© emoji modifier base (Emoji_Modifier_Base) | |
| \u{1F469}\u{1F3FF}: π©πΏ emoji modifier base followed by a modifier | |
| `; | |
| const regex = emojiRegex(); | |
| let match; | |
| while (match = regex.exec(text)) { | |
| const emoji = match[0]; | |
| console.log(`Matched sequence ${ emoji } β code points: ${ [...emoji].length }`); | |
| } | |
| ``` | |
| Console output: | |
| ``` | |
| Matched sequence β β code points: 1 | |
| Matched sequence β β code points: 1 | |
| Matched sequence βοΈ β code points: 2 | |
| Matched sequence βοΈ β code points: 2 | |
| Matched sequence π© β code points: 1 | |
| Matched sequence π© β code points: 1 | |
| Matched sequence π©πΏ β code points: 2 | |
| Matched sequence π©πΏ β code points: 2 | |
| ``` | |
| ## Regular expression flavors | |
| The package comes with three distinct regular expressions: | |
| ```js | |
| // This is the recommended regular expression to use. It matches all | |
| // emoji recommended for general interchange, as defined via the | |
| // `RGI_Emoji` property in the Unicode Standard. | |
| // https://unicode.org/reports/tr51/#def_rgi_set | |
| // When in doubt, use this! | |
| const emojiRegexRGI = require('emoji-regex/RGI_Emoji.js'); | |
| // This is the old regular expression, prior to `RGI_Emoji` being | |
| // standardized. In addition to all `RGI_Emoji` sequences, it matches | |
| // some emoji you probably donβt want to match (such as emoji component | |
| // symbols that are not meant to be used separately). | |
| const emojiRegex = require('emoji-regex/index.js'); | |
| // This regular expression matches even more emoji than the previous | |
| // one, including emoji that render as text instead of icons (i.e. | |
| // emoji that are not `Emoji_Presentation` symbols and that arenβt | |
| // forced to render as emoji by a variation selector). | |
| const emojiRegexText = require('emoji-regex/text.js'); | |
| ``` | |
| Additionally, in environments which support ES2015 Unicode escapes, you may `require` ES2015-style versions of the regexes: | |
| ```js | |
| const emojiRegexRGI = require('emoji-regex/es2015/RGI_Emoji.js'); | |
| const emojiRegex = require('emoji-regex/es2015/index.js'); | |
| const emojiRegexText = require('emoji-regex/es2015/text.js'); | |
| ``` | |
| ## For maintainers | |
| ### How to update emoji-regex after new Unicode Standard releases | |
| 1. Update the Unicode data dependency in `package.json` by running the following commands: | |
| ```sh | |
| # Example: updating from Unicode v12 to Unicode v13. | |
| npm uninstall @unicode/unicode-12.0.0 | |
| npm install @unicode/unicode-13.0.0 --save-dev | |
| ```` | |
| 1. Generate the new output: | |
| ```sh | |
| npm run build | |
| ``` | |
| 1. Verify that tests still pass: | |
| ```sh | |
| npm test | |
| ``` | |
| 1. Send a pull request with the changes, and get it reviewed & merged. | |
| 1. On the `main` branch, bump the emoji-regex version number in `package.json`: | |
| ```sh | |
| npm version patch -m 'Release v%s' | |
| ``` | |
| Instead of `patch`, use `minor` or `major` [as needed](https://semver.org/). | |
| Note that this produces a Git commit + tag. | |
| 1. Push the release commit and tag: | |
| ```sh | |
| git push | |
| ``` | |
| Our CI then automatically publishes the new release to npm. | |
| ## Author | |
| | [](https://twitter.com/mathias "Follow @mathias on Twitter") | | |
| |---| | |
| | [Mathias Bynens](https://mathiasbynens.be/) | | |
| ## License | |
| _emoji-regex_ is available under the [MIT](https://mths.be/mit) license. | |