regexStarQuantifiers

Reports quantifiers {0,} in regular expressions that should use * instead.

✅ This rule is included in the ts stylisticStrict presets.

Reports quantifiers using {0,} in regular expressions and suggests using the more concise * quantifier instead. Both forms are semantically equivalent (matching zero or more of the preceding element), but * is the idiomatic form.

Examples

Greedy Quantifier

❌ Incorrect

const pattern = /a{0,}/;

✅ Correct

const pattern = /a*/;

Lazy Quantifier

❌ Incorrect

const pattern = /a{0,}?/;

✅ Correct

const pattern = /a*?/;

Groups

❌ Incorrect

const pattern = /(ab){0,}/;

✅ Correct

const pattern = /(ab)*/;

RegExp Constructor

❌ Incorrect

const pattern = new RegExp("a{0,}");

✅ Correct

const pattern = new RegExp("a*");

Options

This rule is not configurable.

When Not To Use It

If your project has a style guide that prefers the explicit {0,} syntax for clarity, or if you are programmatically generating regular expressions where {0,} is easier to produce, you might want to disable this rule.

Further Reading

• MDN: Quantifier
• MDN: Regular expressions

Equivalents in Other Linters

• ESLint: regexp/prefer-star-quantifier