Adding regular expression searches

[machinedgod]

Hello,
I'd like to add a feature to a search command so that it can do an extended regex search.
I already have the test regex code prepped, and I think I know where to plug it into the Vimb (command.c:105 ?). Of course, some guidance/handholding would be very useful.

If this is a patch that'd be accepted upstream, then in order to prep it properly, I have few options on my mind, once I have it working, on how to have it in Vimb:

1. as an option in config.h - makes all searches into extended regex
2. as a set parameter
3. as different, alternative command
4. as some sort of flag in the search command

I can probably deal with first two on my own, but would need some guidance on last two.

Also, just to avoid XY problem, this is the context:
today I wanted to select a piece of text from the webpage and store it in the clipboard, and realized that

• caret function makes this very pedestrian
• there's no way to hint a normal text, just links
• there's no way (to my knowledge, after reading the manual) to select text without mouse OR using search
• search doesn't support regex so I can't easily select a block of text

If there's a way to easily select text just with keyboard, please let me know 🪦
I have already started working on this (as mentioned I have regex code ready) and have started crashing vimb tinkering with command_search.

[machinedgod]

P.S. I am simply using regex.h from glibc. This is what martanne/vis uses and it works pretty flawlessly.

Update:
gonna pause this for tonight but after some more looking at the code, I realize that the search is a monolith coming from webkit, and their controller's options do not offer regex searches.
This might mean I either hack this somehow with some ugly javascript command and eval, or I might :gulp: have to see if I can plug this into webkit.