(Regexps): Explain that ^ and $ have their

special meanings only in certain contexts.

1 files changed, 8 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/man/search.texi b/man/search.texi
index ef2d577623..303074dcf0 100644
--- a/man/search.texi
+++ b/man/search.texi
@@ -576,10 +576,18 @@ beginning of a line in the text being matched.  Otherwise it fails to
 match anything.  Thus, @samp{^foo} matches a @samp{foo} that occurs at
 the beginning of a line.
 
+For historical compatibility reasons, @samp{^} can be used with this
+meaning only at the beginning of the regular expression, or after
+@samp{\(} or @samp{\|}.
+
 @item @kbd{$}
 is similar to @samp{^} but matches only at the end of a line.  Thus,
 @samp{x+$} matches a string of one @samp{x} or more at the end of a line.
 
+For historical compatibility reasons, @samp{$} can be used with this
+meaning only at the end of the regular expression, or before @samp{\)}
+or @samp{\|}.
+
 @item @kbd{\}
 has two functions: it quotes the special characters (including
 @samp{\}), and it introduces additional special constructs.