Expressions For Mac

Expressions offers you the possibility to rely on the ICU regular expression standard to create highlight patterns that are to be applied to any text string. The custom patterns take effect in real time, so you can experiment with the syntax and modify the expression with ease.

The Expressions user interface is represented by a single window separated into two main areas: on top, you get to input the expressions, while on the bottom you have to place the text on which you want to test the pattern.

You can toggle the reference sheet panel where you get to see the metacharacters and operators, including the non-capturing ones, that you can employ when defining new patterns.

For your convenience, Expressions uses a color code (blue, pink, and white) to help you differentiate between various elements included in the expression. Moreover, to learn more about the syntax and how the NSRegularExpression class works, make sure to visit the Apple developer resources website.

Once you start adding new constructions in the appropriate Expressions panel, the app will start applying the rules to the text present in the bottom area of the window. The app will highlight the terms alternating between the pink and blue background.

You can easily navigate between the two areas using hotkeys: Command + P to jump to the pattern and Command + T to switch to the text. You can choose to highlight the previous or next group also relying on keyboard combinations.

Expressions comes with light and dark interface themes, can be case insensitive, is able to work with multiple lines, and will allow whitespaces and comments.

Expressions offers you the possibility to use the ICU regular expressions standard to create custom highlighting patterns and test them on any text string.

The Expressions app works right out of the box without any special configurations, and you can even switch to the fullscreen mode to stay focused.