re.error: Nothing to Repeat

Why This Happens

Regex quantifiers modify the preceding element. If there is no preceding element, the engine cannot determine what to repeat. Escape the quantifier to match the literal character.

The Problem

import re
result = re.search(r'*hello', text)

The Fix

import re
result = re.search(r'.*hello', text)  # .* matches anything before
# Or literal: re.search(r'\*hello', text)

Step-by-Step Fix

1. 1

   Fix the pattern

   Ensure quantifiers come after a character, group, or character class.

2. 2

   Escape literal quantifiers

   Use \* for literal asterisk, \+ for plus.

3. 3

   Test your regex

   Use regex101.com to debug patterns.