[SOLVED] RegEx: Colon-Delimited Time

[KongMD]

Hi, all. I'm trying to make a RegEx pattern that will match a string formatted as a time, e.g. 12:04:45. I've tried a couple different patterns, but none are matching. Where am I going wrong? I've verified that the string is inside the $_Time variable.

$pattern = '([0-9]+:){3}'
$timeArray = StringRegExp ( $_Time, $pattern, 1)

Edited February 20, 2012 by KongMD

[Melba23]

KongMD,

If you want all three values then this should do the trick:

#include <Array.au3>

$pattern = '([0-9]{2})'

$_Time = "12:04:45"

$timeArray = StringRegExp ( $_Time, $pattern, 3)

_ArrayDisplay($timeArray)

But if that is the case, why not just use StringSplit

#include <Array.au3>

$pattern = '([0-9]{2})'

$_Time = "12:04:45"

$timeArray = StringSplit($_Time, ":")

_ArrayDisplay($timeArray)

M23

[somdcomputerguy]

The StringSplit function could be used instead probably.

$Time = "09:58:02"
$Split = StringSplit($Time, ":")
ConSoleWrite($Split[1] & ", " & $Split[2] & ", " & $Split[3] & @LF)

[KongMD]

Thanks for the replies

The $_Time variable is slightly misnamed; it actually holds the source code to a web page (http://nist.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5) that was retrieved with InetGet, and my goal is to store the current hours, mins, and seconds into an array. I appreciate the pattern, M23, but I think it'd return too many results (though I totally would've said the same thing given the info shared in the original post).

There are two such time strings in the source code (the other time is cookie expiration), so I want the second instance. After getting that time string, I'd separate it with Split() into the hours/mins/seconds. I haven't written that part yet, but this is another shot at my broken pattern matching:

$pattern = '([0-9]{2}:){3}'
$timeArray = StringRegExp ( $_Time, $pattern, 3)

[jchd]

KongMD,

To answer your initial question, your pattern is exactly three times (two digits followed by a semicolumn).

If your time string was modelled on 12:34:56: (note the final semicolumn) it would work, but I suspect your format is the more common 12:34:56 (note no : at end)

Try (dd:dd:dd) instead or (dd):(dd):(dd) if you want to capture HMS separately

Edit: avoid reformat pattern into smileys!

Edited February 20, 2012 by jchd

[KongMD]

Excellent! That worked beautifully. Thanks, jchd What did I do wrong in my initial pattern?

[jchd]

Read my previous post again: you were requiring a final semicolumn, as in HH: MM: SS:

[KongMD]

Yep, no wonder it wasn't working. Thanks again for your help, jchd!