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Previous Title: regex to match all emoji

I know there is a "javascript unicode emoji regular expressions" question, but the problem is that it is unclear what it is asking thus unclear what the answers are exactly for. So let me try again here.

What is the regular expression in JS/ES6 that can match the most common emojis?

The answers in "javascript unicode emoji regular expressions" are so specific that I don't know if they cover every case. Moreover, for my case specifically, I hope the regular expression can be as simple as possible -- I care about the simplicity of the regular expression rather than its preciseness/correctness. As long as it is about right, I'm happy.

UPDATE: I want to stress again that I care about the simplicity, As long as it is about right, I'm OK, even if it misses a few outsiders. I don't care about preciseness, so extra module is definitely out of the question.

xpt
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    You can try Unicode property escapes: https://github.com/tc39/proposal-regexp-unicode-property-escapes#matching-emoji – vsemozhebuty Jan 26 '19 at 18:23
  • I.e., the question is under the assumption that emoji symbols are so arranged in Unicode that there won't be none emoji symbols ***within*** the emoji symbols range. – xpt Jan 26 '19 at 18:23
  • @vsemozhetbyt, that *proposal* is now in ES6? – xpt Jan 26 '19 at 18:26
  • Yes, in ES2018: http://exploringjs.com/es2018-es2019/ch_regexp-unicode-property-escapes.html – vsemozhebuty Jan 26 '19 at 18:31
  • @vsemozhetbyt, however, it is ES6, i.e., ECMAScript2015 that I'm talking about. – xpt Jan 26 '19 at 18:36

2 Answers2

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Found it, 

(?:[\u2700-\u27bf]|(?:\ud83c[\udde6-\uddff]){2}|[\ud800-\udbff][\udc00-\udfff])

get 746 matches, 99 misses. Good enough for me.

xpt
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  • ES6 uses `\u{hhhhhh}` notation for codepoints. And the regex _Unicode_ flag must be set `//u` or new object. –  Jan 26 '19 at 19:03
  • @sln, thanks, can you formulate it into an answer please. I can accept that. thx. – xpt Jan 26 '19 at 19:14
  • It's actually _quicker_ to do this as surrogate's (utf-16) as opposed to utf- 8/32. –  Jan 26 '19 at 20:48
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Ok, this is the 16-bit regex for Unicode 11 for All emoji.
It is generated. Works with all JS versions.

[#*0-9]\ufe0f\u20e3|[\u00a9\u00ae\u203c\u2049\u2122\u2139\u2194-\u2199\u21a9\u21aa\u231a\u231b\u2328\u23cf\u23e9-\u23f3\u23f8-\u23fa\u24c2\u25aa\u25ab\u25b6\u25c0\u25fb-\u25fe\u2600-\u2604\u260e\u2611\u2614\u2615\u2618]|\u261d(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\u2620\u2622\u2623\u2626\u262a\u262e\u262f\u2638-\u263a\u2640\u2642\u2648-\u2653\u265f\u2660\u2663\u2665\u2666\u2668\u267b\u267e\u267f\u2692-\u2697\u2699\u269b\u269c\u26a0\u26a1\u26aa\u26ab\u26b0\u26b1\u26bd\u26be\u26c4\u26c5\u26c8\u26ce\u26cf\u26d1\u26d3\u26d4\u26e9\u26ea\u26f0-\u26f5\u26f7\u26f8]|\u26f9(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|\ufe0f\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|[\u26fa\u26fd\u2702\u2705\u2708\u2709]|[\u270a-\u270d](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\u270f\u2712\u2714\u2716\u271d\u2721\u2728\u2733\u2734\u2744\u2747\u274c\u274e\u2753-\u2755\u2757\u2763\u2764\u2795-\u2797\u27a1\u27b0\u27bf\u2934\u2935\u2b05-\u2b07\u2b1b\u2b1c\u2b50\u2b55\u3030\u303d\u3297\u3299]|\ud83c(?:[\udc04\udccf\udd70\udd71\udd7e\udd7f\udd8e\udd91-\udd9a]|\udde6\ud83c[\udde8-\uddec\uddee\uddf1\uddf2\uddf4\uddf6-\uddfa\uddfc\uddfd\uddff]|\udde7\ud83c[\udde6\udde7\udde9-\uddef\uddf1-\uddf4\uddf6-\uddf9\uddfb\uddfc\uddfe\uddff]|\udde8\ud83c[\udde6\udde8\udde9\uddeb-\uddee\uddf0-\uddf5\uddf7\uddfa-\uddff]|\udde9\ud83c[\uddea\uddec\uddef\uddf0\uddf2\uddf4\uddff]|\uddea\ud83c[\udde6\udde8\uddea\uddec\udded\uddf7-\uddfa]|\uddeb\ud83c[\uddee-\uddf0\uddf2\uddf4\uddf7]|\uddec\ud83c[\udde6\udde7\udde9-\uddee\uddf1-\uddf3\uddf5-\uddfa\uddfc\uddfe]|\udded\ud83c[\uddf0\uddf2\uddf3\uddf7\uddf9\uddfa]|\uddee\ud83c[\udde8-\uddea\uddf1-\uddf4\uddf6-\uddf9]|\uddef\ud83c[\uddea\uddf2\uddf4\uddf5]|\uddf0\ud83c[\uddea\uddec-\uddee\uddf2\uddf3\uddf5\uddf7\uddfc\uddfe\uddff]|\uddf1\ud83c[\udde6-\udde8\uddee\uddf0\uddf7-\uddfb\uddfe]|\uddf2\ud83c[\udde6\udde8-\udded\uddf0-\uddff]|\uddf3\ud83c[\udde6\udde8\uddea-\uddec\uddee\uddf1\uddf4\uddf5\uddf7\uddfa\uddff]|\uddf4\ud83c\uddf2|\uddf5\ud83c[\udde6\uddea-\udded\uddf0-\uddf3\uddf7-\uddf9\uddfc\uddfe]|\uddf6\ud83c\udde6|\uddf7\ud83c[\uddea\uddf4\uddf8\uddfa\uddfc]|\uddf8\ud83c[\udde6-\uddea\uddec-\uddf4\uddf7-\uddf9\uddfb\uddfd-\uddff]|\uddf9\ud83c[\udde6\udde8\udde9\uddeb-\udded\uddef-\uddf4\uddf7\uddf9\uddfb\uddfc\uddff]|\uddfa\ud83c[\udde6\uddec\uddf2\uddf3\uddf8\uddfe\uddff]|\uddfb\ud83c[\udde6\udde8\uddea\uddec\uddee\uddf3\uddfa]|\uddfc\ud83c[\uddeb\uddf8]|\uddfd\ud83c\uddf0|\uddfe\ud83c[\uddea\uddf9]|\uddff\ud83c[\udde6\uddf2\uddfc]|[\ude01\ude02\ude1a\ude2f\ude32-\ude3a\ude50\ude51\udf00-\udf21\udf24-\udf84]|\udf85(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udf86-\udf93\udf96\udf97\udf99-\udf9b\udf9e-\udfc1]|\udfc2(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udfc3\udfc4](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udfc5\udfc6]|\udfc7(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udfc8\udfc9]|\udfca(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udfcb\udfcc](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|\ufe0f\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|[\udfcd-\udff0]|\udff3(?:\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08)?|\udff4(?:\u200d\u2620\ufe0f|\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40(?:\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67|\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74|\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73)\udb40\udc7f)?|[\udff5\udff7-\udfff])|\ud83d(?:[\udc00-\udc40]|\udc41(?:\ufe0f\u200d\ud83d\udde8\ufe0f)?|[\udc42\udc43](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udc44\udc45]|[\udc46-\udc50](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udc51-\udc65]|[\udc66\udc67](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\udc68(?:\u200d(?:[\u2695\u2696\u2708]\ufe0f|\u2764\ufe0f\u200d\ud83d(?:\udc8b\u200d\ud83d)?\udc68|\ud83c[\udf3e\udf73\udf93\udfa4\udfa8\udfeb\udfed]|\ud83d(?:\udc66(?:\u200d\ud83d\udc66)?|\udc67(?:\u200d\ud83d[\udc66\udc67])?|[\udc68\udc69]\u200d\ud83d(?:\udc66(?:\u200d\ud83d\udc66)?|\udc67(?:\u200d\ud83d[\udc66\udc67])?)|[\udcbb\udcbc\udd27\udd2c\ude80\ude92])|\ud83e[\uddb0-\uddb3])|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d(?:[\u2695\u2696\u2708]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udf3e\udf73\udf93\udfa4\udfa8\udfeb\udfed]|\ud83d[\udcbb\udcbc\udd27\udd2c\ude80\ude92]|\ud83e[\uddb0-\uddb3]))?)?|\udc69(?:\u200d(?:[\u2695\u2696\u2708]\ufe0f|\u2764\ufe0f\u200d\ud83d(?:\udc8b\u200d\ud83d)?[\udc68\udc69]|\ud83c[\udf3e\udf73\udf93\udfa4\udfa8\udfeb\udfed]|\ud83d(?:\udc66(?:\u200d\ud83d\udc66)?|\udc67(?:\u200d\ud83d[\udc66\udc67])?|\udc69\u200d\ud83d(?:\udc66(?:\u200d\ud83d\udc66)?|\udc67(?:\u200d\ud83d[\udc66\udc67])?)|[\udcbb\udcbc\udd27\udd2c\ude80\ude92])|\ud83e[\uddb0-\uddb3])|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d(?:[\u2695\u2696\u2708]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udf3e\udf73\udf93\udfa4\udfa8\udfeb\udfed]|\ud83d[\udcbb\udcbc\udd27\udd2c\ude80\ude92]|\ud83e[\uddb0-\uddb3]))?)?|[\udc6a-\udc6d]|\udc6e(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|\udc6f(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|\udc70(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\udc71(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|\udc72(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\udc73(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udc74-\udc76](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\udc77(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|\udc78(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udc79-\udc7b]|\udc7c(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udc7d-\udc80]|[\udc81\udc82](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|\udc83(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\udc84|\udc85(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udc86\udc87](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udc88-\udca9]|\udcaa(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udcab-\udcfd\udcff-\udd3d\udd49-\udd4e\udd50-\udd67\udd6f\udd70\udd73]|\udd74(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\udd75(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|\ufe0f\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|[\udd76-\udd79]|\udd7a(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udd87\udd8a-\udd8d]|[\udd90\udd95\udd96](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udda4\udda5\udda8\uddb1\uddb2\uddbc\uddc2-\uddc4\uddd1-\uddd3\udddc-\uddde\udde1\udde3\udde8\uddef\uddf3\uddfa-\ude44]|[\ude45-\ude47](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\ude48-\ude4a]|\ude4b(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|\ude4c(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\ude4d\ude4e](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|\ude4f(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\ude80-\udea2]|\udea3(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udea4-\udeb3]|[\udeb4-\udeb6](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udeb7-\udebf]|\udec0(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udec1-\udec5\udecb]|\udecc(?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udecd-\uded2\udee0-\udee5\udee9\udeeb\udeec\udef0\udef3-\udef9])|\ud83e(?:[\udd10-\udd17]|[\udd18-\udd1c](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\udd1d|[\udd1e\udd1f](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|[\udd20-\udd25]|\udd26(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udd27-\udd2f]|[\udd30-\udd36](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\udd37(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udd38\udd39](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|\udd3a|\udd3c(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|[\udd3d\udd3e](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\udd40-\udd45\udd47-\udd70\udd73-\udd76\udd7a\udd7c-\udda2\uddb0-\uddb4]|[\uddb5\uddb6](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\uddb7|[\uddb8\uddb9](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\uddc0-\uddc2\uddd0]|[\uddd1-\uddd5](?:\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff])?|\uddd6(?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\uddd7-\udddd](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f|\ud83c[\udffb-\udfff](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?)?|[\uddde\udddf](?:\u200d[\u2640\u2642]\ufe0f)?|[\udde0-\uddff])

Unicode 11 test case %100 accurate .. https://regex101.com/r/5D8qEv/1

The problem with emoji is it is all over the place code point wise.
No simple property will get them.
So, it has to be generated.

Fortunately, this app generates it for you based on the current ordering:
https://unicode.org/emoji/charts/emoji-ordering.txt

This file does it 

http://www.regexformat.com/Dnl/_Samples/Emoji/Machine-readable emoji ordering v11.0.rxf

Excerpt 

Use this to generate a new regex to find all Emoji.
Go to the link below and get the most recent 'emoji-ordering.txt' file and paste it
either in this pane or a seperate document's pane. Then follow the instructions below.


Instructions:

 1. Load the Attached regex macro from this document.
  • Hi, my question is about matching them with simple regex, as simple as possible, not generating them though. – xpt Jan 26 '19 at 19:46
  • I've changed the title, from *all* to *most*, I.e., I care about the simplicity, As long as it is about right, I'm OK, even if it misses a few outsiders. – xpt Jan 26 '19 at 19:50
  • @xpt - It's better to be accurate than simple. _There is no simple with emoji._ Your regex finds way more than it should https://regex101.com/r/FFQ68I/1 The %100 regex https://regex101.com/r/5D8qEv/1 is accurate and is 3 times faster. –  Jan 26 '19 at 20:39