What's boost_check and what's it got to do with regex? john i found the boost_check in here http://www.boost.org/libs/test/doc/components/test_tools/reference/BOOST_CHE... and though it would do what i was trying to do. But i think the the regex_token_iterator you submitted would do it. std::string::const_iterator start = in.begin(); std::string::const_iterator end = in.end(); boost::sregex_token_iterator i(start, end, *regex, -1), j; while(i != j) { cout << *i << endl; }