Replace Alpha-Numeric ID

[RichardL]

I want to replace an alpha-numeric ID wherever it occurs, but not if it's a sub-part of another.  In the example the first 7 should be replaced, but not the rest.  The code identifies the right items, but the replace includes the characters either side.  Is there a way to get StringRegExpReplace to do this?

$sInput = " 1 A1 2 :A1 3 +A1 4 -A1 5 A1: 6 A1; 7 ;A1 8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10 "
$sOutput = StringRegExpReplace($sInput, "[^A-Z,0-9]A1[^A-Z,0-9]", "--")
ConsoleWrite(StringFormat("In   %s\nOut  %s\n", $sInput, $sOutput))

In    1 A1 2 :A1 3 +A1 4 -A1 5 A1: 6 A1; 7 ;A1 8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10 
Out   1--2 --3 --4 --5-- 6-- 7 --8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10

If that's not possible I'll find each "A1" then check the characters each side.  Not difficult but not as nice as a RegExp method.

[jchd]

I don't understand the precise logic you use to derive the output in your sample, mainly w.r.t. whitespaces. All I can easily come up with is this:

$sInput = " 1 A1 2 :A1 3 +A1 4 -A1 5 A1: 6 A1; 7 ;A1 8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10 "
$sExpected = " 1--2 --3 --4 --5-- 6-- 7 --8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10"
$sOutput = StringRegExpReplace($sInput, "(?:[-+:;\s]?)(\bA1[:;]?(?=\W)\s?)", "--")
ConsoleWrite(StringFormat("In   %s\nOut  %s\nExp  %s\n", $sInput, $sOutput, $sExpected))

which gives that:

In    1 A1 2 :A1 3 +A1 4 -A1 5 A1: 6 A1; 7 ;A1 8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10 
Out   1--2 --3 --4 --5--6--7 --8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10 
Exp   1--2 --3 --4 --5-- 6-- 7 --8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10

[RichardL]

My regexp is using the chars each side of the A1 to see that it's not part of a bigger ID, so those two chars get replaced, so losing spaces or + or - whatever.  So I want no loss of spaces or other chars, just A1 replaced with --.  I don't know the complete set of chars that it might be either side of A1, so have to use not A-Z.

[jchd]

Is that better?

$sInput =    " 1 A1 2 :A1 3 +A1 4 -A1 5 A1: 6 A1; 7 ;A1 8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10 "
$sExpected = " 1 -- 2 :-- 3 +-- 4 --- 5 --: 6 --; 7 ;-- 8 3A10 9 :A10 10  AA1 11 A10"
$sOutput = StringRegExpReplace($sInput, "(?<![A-Z0-9])A1(?![A-Z0-9])", "--")
ConsoleWrite(StringFormat("In   %s\nOut  %s\nExp  %s\n", $sInput, $sOutput, $sExpected))

[RichardL]

That's right, thanks.     I've given it a quick try and I'll study it tomorrow.

Edited April 15, 2015 by RichardL