> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.prophecy.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Alteryx RegEx Tool > Prophecy Regex Gem

> Mapping between Alteryx's RegEx Tool and Prophecy's Regex Gem

The Alteryx [RegEx tool](https://help.alteryx.com/current/en/designer/tools/parse/regex-tool.html) applies regular-expression logic to text fields in order to detect, extract, split, or transform string values. It supports four modes: Match, Parse, Replace, and Tokenize.

Prophecy implements this functionality through the [Regex gem](/data-analysis/gems/parse/regex). The gem supports the same four operation types, with slight differences in output structure and overwrite behavior.

## Automated migration results

When Import detects an Alteryx RegEx tool:

* It generates a **Regex** gem in Prophecy.
* The selected Alteryx operation (Match, Parse, Replace, or Tokenize) is mapped directly to the corresponding Regex gem action.
* The regex pattern is copied exactly, except in a small subset of cases where Alteryx's regex patterns differ from Prophecy's regex patterns.
* Capture groups are expanded into output columns when using **Parse**.
* Because Prophecy's Replace does not overwrite existing columns, in these cases Prophecy adds a downstream Reformat gem to remove replaced columns.

## Manually replicate in Prophecy

To reproduce Alteryx RegEx behavior manually:

1. Add a **Regex** gem to the canvas.
2. Select column to parse.
3. Select the **Output strategy** that matches the Alteryx configuration:
   * Match
   * Parse
   * Replace
   * Tokenize
4. Specify regex pattern.
5. Configure output columns (for Parse, Replace, or Tokenize) as needed.

## Configuration options

### In Alteryx (RegEx tool)

1. Select column to parse.
2. Enter or configure regular expression: Perl-compatible regex pattern.
3. Choose whether or not to use case-insensitive matching.
4. Select output method: Match, Parse, Replace, or Tokenize.
5. For Replace, enter replacement string.
6. For Parse/Tokenize, configure output fields.

### In Prophecy (Regex gem)

1. Select column to parse
2. Select output strategy: Match, Parse, Replace, or Tokenize
3. Enter Regex pattern manually (Prophecy provides common patterns for reference).
4. Choose whether or not to use case-insensitive matching.
5. Configure names and options for output columns, depending on output strategy.

## Output behavior

* Alteryx output structure varies by mode.
* Prophecy always produces a single output dataset with added or expanded columns depending on the selected operation.

## Known caveats

* **Boolean vs numeric flags:** Match results differ in type (Boolean vs 1/0). To mimic Alteryx behavior, cast to Boolean in a downstream gem.
* **Overwrite behavior:** Replace operations append new columns in Prophecy; Alteryx workflows may overwrite fields.
* **Regex entry**: Prophecy does not provide a regex builder UI; you enter regex manually using drawing on common reference patterns provided in the gem.
* **Regex engine differences**: Alteryx uses Perl Compatible Regular Expressions (PCRE); Prophecy uses Java regular expressions.

## Example

Goal: Extract phone-number components from a string like `"(212) 555-0199"`.

### Alteryx RegEx tool (Parse)

1. Choose column with phone number.
2. Enter or configure *regular expression*: `(\d{3})[)\s-](\d{3})[-](\d{4})`.
3. Choose **Parse** for Output Method.

Resulting fields: `AreaCode`, `Exchange`, `Number`

### Prophecy equivalent (Regex gem)

1. Select column to parse.
2. Select **Parse** for **Output strategy**.
3. Enter **Regex**: `(\d{3})[)\s-](\d{3})[-](\d{4})`.

Output:

| New column name | Type   | Regex Expression |
| --------------- | ------ | ---------------- |
| `area_code`     | String | (\d{3})          |
| `exchange`      | String | (\d{3})          |
| `number`        | String | (\d{4})          |