regex - Java Pattern Matcher Woes -

i'm looking pattern check boolean terms in conditions:

• if exist them selves
string = "and";
string b = "\tand";
string c = "and ";
• if not part of word or phrase
string d = "this or that";
• terms or phrases ignore:
string e = "band";
string f = "l'or"
string g = "can do";

code have far find them if have spaces before , after delimiter , sort of adjustment breaks progress have. i used page reference still no dice. have tried using both find() , matches() find seems broad in scope , matches doesn't seem broad enough. ideas?

final static pattern booleanterms = pattern.compile("(.*)(( or )|( or )|( not )|( not )( , )|( , ))(.*)");  public static void main(string[] args) {  set<string> terms = new hashset<string>(); terms.add(" or"); //false terms.add("or "); //false terms.add("or"); // false terms.add(" or "); //true (string s : terms) {     system.out.println(finddilims(s)); } // end loop  } // end main method  public static boolean finddilims(string s) {     matcher matcher = booleanterms.matcher(s);     if (matcher.matches()) {       return true;     } else {       return false;     } } // end method 

you said want find them if , not part of phrase. don't want start , end pattern (.*).

it seems want find them if there whitespace around them. need start , end patter \s*. want find them if there no space before or after. don't want have space on patterns, example in ( or ).

and seems want case insensitive might want set (?i)

final static pattern booleanterms = pattern.compile("(?i)(\s*)((or)|(not)|(and))(\s*)");