AbstractThree string matching algorithms—straightforward, Knuth‐Morris‐Pratt and Boyer‐Moor—re examined and their time complexities discussed. A comparison of their actual average behaviour is made, based on empirical data presented. It is shown that the Boyel‐Moore algorithm is extremely efficient in most cases and that, contrary to the impression one might get from the analytical results, the Knuth‐Morris‐Pratt algorithm is not significantly better on the average than the straightfo