title: Can I use pattern matching in C program?
body: <p>I am novice to C programming. Is it possible to match pattern inside the C string, like any built in functions? </p>
  
  <p>I am using Red Hat Linux and I want to check if a string starts with <code>abc:</code> or <code>def:</code> followed by 10 digit numbers <code>@</code> chars. Something like : <code>(abc|def):([0-9]{10})@([A-Za-z0-9]*)</code>.</p>
  
  <p>Is there any C built in function which I can use to check this pattern matching.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks for your help.</p>