the previous parenthesized subexpression specified
by the number <replaceable>n</replaceable>
(see <xref linkend="posix-constraint-backref-table"/>). For example,
<literal>([bc])\1</literal> matches <literal>bb</literal> or <literal>cc</literal>
but not <literal>bc</literal> or <literal>cb</literal>.
The subexpression must entirely precede the back reference in the RE.
Subexpressions are numbered in the order of their leading parentheses.
Non-capturing parentheses do not define subexpressions.
The back reference considers only the string characters matched by the
referenced subexpression, not any constraints contained in it. For
example, <literal>(^\d)\1</literal> will match <literal>22</literal>.
</para>
<table id="posix-character-entry-escapes-table">
<title>Regular Expression Character-Entry Escapes</title>
<tgroup cols="2">
<thead>
<row>
<entry>Escape</entry>
<entry>Description</entry>
</row>
</thead>
<tbody>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\a</literal> </entry>
<entry> alert (bell) character, as in C </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\b</literal> </entry>
<entry> backspace, as in C </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\B</literal> </entry>
<entry> synonym for backslash (<literal>\</literal>) to help reduce the need for backslash
doubling </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\c</literal><replaceable>X</replaceable> </entry>
<entry> (where <replaceable>X</replaceable> is any character) the character whose
low-order 5 bits are the same as those of
<replaceable>X</replaceable>, and whose other bits are all zero </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\e</literal> </entry>
<entry> the character whose collating-sequence name
is <literal>ESC</literal>,
or failing that, the character with octal value <literal>033</literal> </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\f</literal> </entry>
<entry> form feed, as in C </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\n</literal> </entry>
<entry> newline, as in C </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\r</literal> </entry>
<entry> carriage return, as in C </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\t</literal> </entry>
<entry> horizontal tab, as in C </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\u</literal><replaceable>wxyz</replaceable> </entry>
<entry> (where <replaceable>wxyz</replaceable> is exactly four hexadecimal digits)
the character whose hexadecimal value is
<literal>0x</literal><replaceable>wxyz</replaceable>
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\U</literal><replaceable>stuvwxyz</replaceable> </entry>
<entry> (where <replaceable>stuvwxyz</replaceable> is exactly eight hexadecimal
digits)
the character whose hexadecimal value is
<literal>0x</literal><replaceable>stuvwxyz</replaceable>
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\v</literal> </entry>
<entry> vertical tab, as in C </entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\x</literal><replaceable>hhh</replaceable> </entry>
<entry> (where <replaceable>hhh</replaceable> is any sequence of hexadecimal
digits)
the character whose hexadecimal value is
<literal>0x</literal><replaceable>hhh</replaceable>
(a single character no matter how many hexadecimal digits are used)
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\0</literal> </entry>
<entry> the character whose value is <literal>0</literal> (the null byte)</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry> <literal>\</literal><replaceable>xy</replaceable> </entry>
<entry> (where <replaceable>xy</replaceable>