RegExp - How To Replace Every Other Quote Found?

[buymeapc 1]

Hi all,

So, I have strings where I'm trying to delimit each value, that's currently separated with spaces, with a pipe. Here are a few of the strings:

"webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"02/23/2011  01:17:22 PM         1401  "12312312312312312""A"           "b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"  "\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"
        "webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"02/23/2011  01:17:22 PM         1401  ""                 "A"           "b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"  "\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"
        "ikernel.dll"                                           04/26/2002  07:48:38 PM            0  ""                 "A"           "d98c1dd4-008f-04b2-e980-0998ecf8427e"  "c:\program files\installshield 10.5\support\build\ikernel.dll"

I'd like to return the strings looking like this:

"webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"|02/23/2011|01:17:22 PM|1401|"12312312312312312"|"A"|"b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"|"\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"
"webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"|02/23/2011|01:17:22 PM|1401|""|"A"|"b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"|"\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"
"ikernel.dll"|04/26/2002|07:48:38 PM|0|""|"A"|"d98c1dd4-008f-04b2-e980-0998ecf8427e"|"c:\program files\installshield 10.5\support\build\ikernel.dll"

I've tried replacing the double spaces with pipes, but that messes up the first string and leaves "12312312312312312""A" without adding the pipe between the two values.

$sLine = StringRegExpReplace($sLine, "[ ]{2,}", "|")

So, I concocted a way to do it with a string-based approach.

; Strip the leading and trailing ws
$sTempLine = StringStripWS($sTempLine, 1 + 2)
; Replace all double spaces with pipes
$sTempLine = StringRegExpReplace($sTempLine, "[ ]{2,}", "|")
If StringInStr($sTempLine, '""A"') > 0 Then
    $sTempLine = StringReplace($sTempLine, '""A"', '"|"A"')
EndIf
; And check if the file name needs a pipe after its second double quote
$iPos = StringInStr($sTempLine, '"', 0, 2)
If StringMid($sTempLine, $iPos, 2) <> '"|' Then
    $sTempLine1 = StringMid($sTempLine, 1, $iPos)
    $sTempLine1 &= "|" & StringMid($sTempLine, ($iPos + 1), (StringLen($sTempLine) - $iPos))
    $sTempLine1 = StringReplace($sTempLine1, '" "', '"|"')
    $sTempLine = $sTempLine1
EndIf
ConsoleWrite("-> " & $sTempLine & @CRLF)

Is there a better regex that I can use to separate these values in the strings with pipes? I thought that it might be easiest to just put a pipe after every second quote...

Thank you for the help.

Edited June 10, 2014 by buymeapc

[BrewManNH 1,249]

One of the problems with your text is that there aren't any spaces between "12312312312312312" and "A", or between "webstratauthenticationenableuserpasswordencryption.sql" and 02/23/2011. You might have to do it with 2 passes, as I don't know that a single one will work.

[czardas 1,235]

Answering the question in the title. You don't need a regular expression for this. You can use StringSplit() with quote as delimiter. Loop through the array and reinsert quote at the start of every other element.

[buymeapc 1]

Ok, I found a way to do it through string functions. It works, but it's just not as magical as a regex

I was always under the impression that using regex would work much faster than the below code.

#include <String.au3>
Dim $aLine[3], $aGood[3]
$aLine[0] = '       "webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"02/23/2011  01:17:22 PM         1401  "12312312312312312""A"           "b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"  "\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"'
$aLine[1] = '       "webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"02/23/2011  01:17:22 PM         1401  ""                 "A"           "b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"  "\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"'
$aLine[2] = '       "ikernel.dll"                                           04/26/2002  07:48:38 PM            0  ""                 "A"           "d98c1dd4-008f-04b2-e980-0998ecf8427e"  "c:\program files\installshield 10.5\support\build\ikernel.dll"'
$aGood[0] = '"webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"|02/23/2011|01:17:22 PM|1401|"12312312312312312"|"A"|"b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"|"\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"'
$aGood[1] = '"webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"|02/23/2011|01:17:22 PM|1401|""|"A"|"b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"|"\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"'
$aGood[2] = '"ikernel.dll"|04/26/2002|07:48:38 PM|0|""|"A"|"d98c1dd4-008f-04b2-e980-0998ecf8427e"|"c:\program files\installshield 10.5\support\build\ikernel.dll"'

For $i = 0 To UBound($aLine) - 1
    $b = False
    $aLine[$i] = StringStripWS($aLine[$i], 1 + 2)
    $aLine[$i] = StringRegExpReplace($aLine[$i], "[ ]{2,}", "|")
    For $j = 1 To StringLen($aLine[$i])
        If StringMid($aLine[$i], $j, 1) = '"' And $b = False Then
            $b = True
        ElseIf StringMid($aLine[$i], $j, 1) = '"' And $b = True Then
            $b = False
            If StringMid($aLine[$i], ($j + 1), 1) <> '|' Then
                ConsoleWrite("Before (" & $j &"): " & $aLine[$i] & @CRLF)
                If $j <> StringLen($aLine[$i]) Then $aLine[$i] = _StringInsert($aLine[$i], '|', $j)
                ConsoleWrite("After  (" & $j &"): " & $aLine[$i] & @CRLF)
            EndIf
        EndIf
    Next
    If $aLine[$i] <> $aGood[$i] Then
        ConsoleWrite("! " &$aLine[$i] & @CRLF)
    Else
        ConsoleWrite("+ " &$aLine[$i] & @CRLF)
    EndIf
Next

[DXRW4E 20]

$sData = StringTrimRight(StringRegExpReplace($sData, '\h*+((?:[^"\h]|"[^"]*")+)\h*+', "$1|"), 1)

is just a quick example, certainly pattern can be done better

Ciao.

[BrewManNH 1,249]

RegExp is slow, slower than most string functions, but invaluable when you have something tricky to split up/find. Practically useless when the data isn't consistent though. Best advice, learn when NOT to use RegExp.

[DXRW4E 20]

not true, is completely contrary, today without RegExp, will be unable to do anything, or better to say the ratio of the speed is 1-1000 if you check the files 1-10 Mb, not to mention other after etc etc etc, even users that working in C++11 (Machine Code ehhhh), which (regarding the speed) can certainly do without RegEx, they too today thank RegEx, because thanks to the RegEx also in C++ itself performance have grown much

#cs ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 AutoIt Version: 3.3.12.0
 Author:         myName

 Script Function:
    Template AutoIt script.

#ce ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Local $sData, $fTimerDiff, $iReturn
$sData = "shfjsdjhsdhdsdudddbfHJYSJ24472727637addddddjkdaaDJDDJDDGDGL|DEUEIEUY"

$fTimerDiff = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 1000000
    $iReturn = StringInStr($sData, "|")
Next
$fTimerDiff = TimerDiff($fTimerDiff)
ConsoleWrite("StringInStr TimerDiff - " & $fTimerDiff & @Lf)

$fTimerDiff = TimerInit()
For $i = 1 To 1000000
    $iReturn = StringRegExp($sData, "(?i)\|")
Next
$fTimerDiff = TimerDiff($fTimerDiff)
ConsoleWrite("StringRegExp TimerDiff - " & $fTimerDiff & @Lf)

;~ >Running AU3Check (3.3.13.0)  from:C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3  input:C:\Users\DXRW4E\Desktop\New AutoIt v3 Script (2).au3
;~ +>21:47:54 AU3Check ended.rc:0
;~ >Running:(3.3.12.0):C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\autoit3.exe "C:\Users\DXRW4E\Desktop\New AutoIt v3 Script (2).au3"    
;~ --> Press Ctrl+Alt+F5 to Restart or Ctrl+Break to Stop
;~ StringInStr TimerDiff - 9762.88568999148
;~ StringRegExp TimerDiff - 6907.45375393011
;~ +>21:48:10 AutoIt3.exe ended.rc:0
;~ +>21:48:10 AutoIt3Wrapper Finished.
;~ >Exit code: 0    Time: 17.02

Edited June 10, 2014 by DXRW4E

[mikell 857]

Using 2 passes is much easier 

#include <String.au3>
Dim $aLine[3], $aGood[3]
$aLine[0] = '       "webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"02/23/2011  01:17:22 PM         1401  "12312312312312312""A"           "b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"  "\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"'
$aLine[1] = '       "webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"02/23/2011  01:17:22 PM         1401  ""                 "A"           "b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"  "\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"'
$aLine[2] = '       "ikernel.dll"                                           04/26/2002  07:48:38 PM            0  ""                 "A"           "d98c1dd4-008f-04b2-e980-0998ecf8427e"  "c:\program files\installshield 10.5\support\build\ikernel.dll"'
$aGood[0] = '"webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"|02/23/2011|01:17:22 PM|1401|"12312312312312312"|"A"|"b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"|"\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"'
$aGood[1] = '"webstratauthentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"|02/23/2011|01:17:22 PM|1401|""|"A"|"b04ecbc4-e0e2-c14b-d780-656d348b0513"|"\\nas123456n\ct40_packaging\builds\product\productname\hss\authentication\enableuserpasswordencryption.sql"'
$aGood[2] = '"ikernel.dll"|04/26/2002|07:48:38 PM|0|""|"A"|"d98c1dd4-008f-04b2-e980-0998ecf8427e"|"c:\program files\installshield 10.5\support\build\ikernel.dll"'

For $i = 0 To UBound($aLine) - 1
    $aLine[$i] = StringTrimRight(StringTrimLeft(StringRegExpReplace(StringRegExpReplace($aLine[$i], '\h{2,}', "|"), '(?<!["|])"(?!\|)', '"|'), 1), 1)

    If $aLine[$i] <> $aGood[$i] Then
        ConsoleWrite("! " &$aLine[$i] & @CRLF)
    Else
        ConsoleWrite("+ " &$aLine[$i] & @CRLF)
    EndIf
Next