Regular Expression Mixing Capture and Non Capturing with Repeat

[gruntydatsun]

Hello,

I'm trying to extract values from a csv file using StringRegExp into a 1d array. I am trying to extract the values only, not capturing the commas or the word END at the end of each line.

I understand basic repeating like below:

$string = "123123asdlkjasdlfkjasd;lkfj321321"
$array = StringRegExp($string,"(d{6})",3)
_ArrayDisplay($array,"ARRAY")

but this has me stumped.

The file format is

name,age,weight,address,END

tim,21,75,10 Jones St,END

rob,32,90,21 Smith St,END

will,65,72,5 Davis St,END

I'm trying to use capturing and non-capturing groups with repeating characters to do it.

So far I have:

$string = FileRead(@scriptdir & "data.dat")
$array = StringRegExp($string,"$regex = "(?:(.*?),{4})",3)
_ArrayDisplay($array,"ARRAY")

I know I can do it easily by just writing the regexp out longhand like (.*?),(.*?),(.*?),(.*?), but the number of fields can change and I need it to be dynamic. Sorry to be pushy about it but the dynamic amount of fields part is fairly important.

I have previously done this building the longhand expression in a loop like below:

for $x = 1 to $fields
$regex &= "(.*?),"
next
$regex &= "End"

Thanks for any help you can give

Edited October 29, 2012 by gruntydatsun

[Malkey]

Hello,

I'm trying to extract values from a csv file using StringRegExp into a 1d array. I am trying to extract the values only, not capturing the commas or the word END at the end of each line.

....

The file format is

name,age,weight,address,END

tim,21,75,10 Jones St,END

rob,32,90,21 Smith St,END

will,65,72,5 Davis St,END

.....

This example returns what appears to be you are after.

Local $sResult
Local $string = FileRead(@ScriptDir & "\data.dat")
Local $array = StringRegExp($string, "(.*?),", 3)

For $i = 0 To UBound($array) - 1
    $sResult &= "$array[" & $i & "] = " & $array[$i] & @LF
Next
MsgBox(0, "Results", $sResult)
ConsoleWrite($sResult & @LF)

#cs
Returns:-
$array[0] = name
$array[1] = age
$array[2] = weight
$array[3] = address
$array[4] = tim
$array[5] = 21
$array[6] = 75
$array[7] = 10 Jones St
$array[8] = rob
$array[9] = 32
$array[10] = 90
$array[11] = 21 Smith St
$array[12] = will
$array[13] = 65
$array[14] = 72
$array[15] = 5 Davis St
#ce

[gruntydatsun]

Thanks Malkey for the reply. That's pretty much how I'm doing it now.

I'm mainly looking for a way of using the repeating {x} when part of what's repeating is to be captured and part is not.

(.*?), but then what? repeating with {x} only seems to work when you put it inside the brackets. How do I get all of (.*?), to be repeating?

EDIT: just to keep my word count on "repeating" up, i'll say it again, repeating

Edited October 29, 2012 by gruntydatsun

[Robjong]

You are really close...

"(.*?),"

but this is a better way of writing it

"([^,v]+),"

Edited October 29, 2012 by Robjong

[kylomas]

gruntydatsun,

Is this the result that you are looking for?

Local $sResult
Local $string = 'name,age,weight,address,END' & @crlf & _
    'tim,21,75,10 Jones St,END' & @crlf & _
    'rob,32,90,21 Smith St,END' & @crlf & _
    'will,65,72,5 Davis St,END' & @CRLF
$string = stringreplace($string,',',' ')
Local $array = StringRegExp($string, "(.*?) END", 3)
For $i = 0 To UBound($array) - 1
    $sResult &= "$array[" & $i & "] = " & $array[$i] & @LF
Next
ConsoleWrite($sResult & @LF)

kylomas

[jdelaney]

another way

Local $sResult
Local $string = 'name,age,weight,address,END' & @crlf & _
    'tim,21,75,10 Jones St,END' & @crlf & _
    'rob,32,90,21 Smith St,END' & @crlf & _
    'will,65,72,5 Davis St,END' & @CRLF
$array = StringRegExp ($string, "(.*),",3)
Dim $FinalArray[1]
$iCounter = 0
For $i = 0 To UBound ( $array ) - 1
 $array2 = StringRegExp ( $array[$i], "([wds]+),?",3)
 ReDim $FinalArray[$iCounter+1]
 $FinalArray[$iCounter] = $array2
 $iCounter+=1
Next
For $i = 0 To UBound ( $FinalArray ) -1
 _ArrayDisplay ($FinalArray[$i])
Next