The '''INSTR''' function searches for the first occurance of a search [[STRING]] within a string and returns the position it was found.


{{PageSyntax}}
:: position% = INSTR([start%,] basestring$, searchstring$)


* The basestring position of the first character of the searchstring is returned by the function if found.
* Position returned will be 0 if the search found no matches in the base string.
* Start [[INTEGER]] position is optional. Must be at least 1 (start of a string) when used or an [[ERROR Codes|Illegal function call]] will occur. 
* The Start position is useful when making multiple searches in the same string. Otherwise it starts at the beginning again!
* Base string and search string are any literal or variable [[STRING]] values.
* The search string should be smaller than the base string! 
* Non-zero position return values can be used as a new start position by adding 1 to re-search the base string. 
* In a loop, INSTR can search an entire file for occurences of certain words. See the [[MID$ (statement)|MID$]] statement example.


''Example:'' Reading more than one instance of a word in a string using the INSTR return value as the start value plus 1.
{{CodeStart}} '' ''
text$ = &quot;The cats and dogs where playing, even though dogs don't like cats.&quot;
{{Cl|DO...LOOP|DO}}
  findcats% = {{Cl|INSTR}}(findcats% + 1, text$, &quot;cats&quot;) ' find another occurance after
  {{Cl|IF...THEN|IF}} findcats% {{Cl|THEN}} {{Cl|PRINT}} &quot;There is 'cats' in the string at position:&quot;; findcats%
{{Cl|LOOP}} {{Cl|UNTIL}} findcats% = 0

findmonkey% = {{Cl|INSTR}}(text$, &quot;monkeys&quot;)  ' find any occurance?
PRINT findmonkey%; &quot;'monkeys' were found so it returned:&quot;; findmonkey% '' ''
{{CodeEnd}}
{{OutputStart}}There is 'cats' in the string at position: 5
There is 'cats' in the string at position: 62
 0 'monkeys' were found so INSTR returned: 0
{{OutputEnd}}
: ''Explanation:'' When the INSTR return value is 0 there are no more instances of a string in a string so the search loop is exited.


''See also:'' 
* [[MID$]], [[MID$ (statement)]]
* [[LEFT$]], [[RIGHT$]]


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