# Does AQL support regular expressions in comparison operators?

**Category:** [AQL](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/aql/43)
**Created:** 2025-07-17 16:21 UTC
**Views:** 49
**Replies:** 1
**URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/does-aql-support-regular-expressions-in-comparison-operators/6993

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## Post #1 by @emmanuel.eschmann

The possible support of  regular expressions for the ‘matches’ AQL comparison operator was discussed in the 2019 Discourse Topic ‘AQL spec review for stabilization, formalization and cleanup’ (https://discourse.openehr.org/t/aql-spec-review-for-stabilization-formalization-and-cleanup/131). However, no decision was taken in this topic.

This was 6 years ago. What is the current status?:

* Are their plans to extend the AQL ‘matches’ comparison operator with support for regex?
* Is support for regex already included in selected CDRs?

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## Post #2 by @pablo

I remember that discussion :slight_smile: 

I raised the issue, and there were some implementations, for instance I think EHRBASE added LIKE, but spec-wise I don't thing we made progress / agreement on that area.

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**Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/does-aql-support-regular-expressions-in-comparison-operators/6993
**Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/does-aql-support-regular-expressions-in-comparison-operators/6993