def METHOD_NAME(self):
    "Return compiled cooked search pattern."
    pat = self.getpat()
    if not pat:
        self.report_error(pat, "Empty regular expression")
        return None
    pat = self.getcookedpat()
    flags = 0
    if not self.iscase():
        flags = flags | re.IGNORECASE
    try:
        prog = re.compile(pat, flags)
    except re.error as what:
        args = what.args
        msg = args[0]
        col = args[1] if len(args) >= 2 else -1
        self.report_error(pat, msg, col)
        return None
    return prog