int Highlighter::_search(regex_t **comp_regex, const string& regex, gchar* str, int length, int start, RegExMatch* pMatch)
{
	UT_return_val_if_fail(pMatch, -2);

	int startpos = -1; /* no match */
	
	if (!(*comp_regex))
	{
		(*comp_regex) = new regex_t();

		// precompile our regular expression, and cache the results	
		if (regcomp(*comp_regex, regex.c_str(), REG_EXTENDED) != 0)
		{
			UT_ASSERT_HARMLESS(UT_SHOULD_NOT_HAPPEN);
			DELETEP(*comp_regex);
			return -2; /* internal error */
		}

		// TODO: add the creation of a fastmap if possible
	}
	
	re_registers regs;
	int p = re_search(*comp_regex, str, length, start, length, &regs);
	if (p >= 0)
	{
		// UT_DEBUGMSG(("match at pos %d for regex: %s\n", p, regex.c_str()));
		startpos = p;
		
		// byte index
		pMatch->byte_start = p;
		pMatch->byte_end = regs.end[0];
			
		// character index
		pMatch->char_start = g_utf8_pointer_to_offset(str, str + p); 
		pMatch->char_end = g_utf8_pointer_to_offset(str, str + regs.end[0]);
			
		//UT_DEBUGMSG(("  start: %d, end: %d   growbuf: start: %d, end: %d\n", pMatch->byte_start, pMatch->byte_end, pMatch->char_start, pMatch->char_end));
	}
	//(*comp_regex) = NULL;	

	return startpos;
}