\b only matches the start of the string if the first character is a \w character because it "[counts] the imaginary characters off the beginning and end of the string as matching a \W". That is, "+testing" is treated as if it were the middle of "*+testing*" (using "*" as the "imaginary characters off the beginning and end of the string") and there is no \b between the "*" and the "+".

- tye        

In reply to Re: Regex word boundary and escaped characters (as designed) by tye
in thread Regex word boundary and escaped characters by ryantate

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