1. A computer-implemented process comprising: translating a record-pattern expression of a data-record pattern of data records to a regular expression of a character pattern, said character pattern being an ordinal relationship among plural characters, said data-record pattern being an ordinal relationship among plural data-record types, said ordinal relationship being defined at least in part in terms of a sort parameter; converting each data record in a record series to a respective character instance in a character string of characters such that, for each data record in said record series, an ordinal record position of the data record in said record series corresponds to an ordinal character position of the respective character instance in said character string; searching for character-pattern instances of the character pattern in the character string to identify ordinal character positions in the character string of characters in the character-pattern instances, each of said character-pattern instances corresponding to a respective instance of said data-record pattern; and reporting data records at ordinal record positions in the record series of data records, the ordinal record positions corresponding to the ordinal character positions, wherein the converting includes: converting the record series into a record-type series by categorizing the data records into record types; and converting the record-type series to the character string by mapping record-types to characters.