Simple Regular Expression

01-30-2008

Hello Group,

This string matches although the number has 5 digits.
What's wrong?

$string = "NYC-CC-35225"
$expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}"

$string -match $expression

01-30-2008

Technically, it is correct. Looking just at the last bit, you asked it to
match 4 digits, and there were 4 digits. There was also another digit, but
that was not part of the match. If you want the entire string to match from
beginning to end, try:

$expression = "^[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}$"

--
Tom

----------------------------------------------------
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
SQL Server MVP
Toronto, ON Canada
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau

"BJ" <post@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1b523a23-05d3-4dc0-9285-9a4f7ad00eb7@xxxxxx
Hello Group,

This string matches although the number has 5 digits.
What's wrong?

$string = "NYC-CC-35225"
$expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}"

$string -match $expression

01-30-2008

Thank you very much, it works!
It will take a long time to get used to regular expressions,
especially for a newbie like myself.......

On 30 Jan., 20:32, "Tom Moreau" <t...@xxxxxx> wrote:

	Quote:
	> Technically, it is correct. * Looking just at the last bit, you asked itto > match 4 digits, and there were 4 digits. There was also another digit, but > that was not part of the match. If you want the entire string to match from > beginning to end, try: > > $expression = "^[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}$" > > -- > * Tom > > ---------------------------------------------------- > Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS > SQL Server MVP > Toronto, ON Canadahttps://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau > > "BJ" <p...@xxxxxx> wrote in message > > news:1b523a23-05d3-4dc0-9285-9a4f7ad00eb7@xxxxxx > Hello Group, > > This string matches although the number has 5 digits. > What's wrong? > > $string = "NYC-CC-35225" > $expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}" > > $string -match $expression

01-30-2008

The problem for me is that I am a Perl jock and the syntax for Perl vs. MS
regular expressions is somewhat different. I was looking for negative and
positive look-ahead and look-behind and couldn't come up with what I wanted.

--
Tom

----------------------------------------------------
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
SQL Server MVP
Toronto, ON Canada
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau

"BJ" <post@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:026e669a-dc07-4fa1-b586-7a99bcff4944@xxxxxx
Thank you very much, it works!
It will take a long time to get used to regular expressions,
especially for a newbie like myself.......

On 30 Jan., 20:32, "Tom Moreau" <t...@xxxxxx> wrote:

	Quote:
	> Technically, it is correct. Looking just at the last bit, you asked it to > match 4 digits, and there were 4 digits. There was also another digit, but > that was not part of the match. If you want the entire string to match

from

	Quote:
	> beginning to end, try: > > $expression = "^[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}$" > > -- > Tom > > ---------------------------------------------------- > Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS > SQL Server MVP > Toronto, ON Canadahttps://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau > > "BJ" <p...@xxxxxx> wrote in message > > news:1b523a23-05d3-4dc0-9285-9a4f7ad00eb7@xxxxxx > Hello Group, > > This string matches although the number has 5 digits. > What's wrong? > > $string = "NYC-CC-35225" > $expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}" > > $string -match $expression

01-30-2008

Here's the .NET syntax

(?= ...) Positive lookahead
(?! ...) Negative lookahead
(?<= ...) Positive lookbehind
(?<! ...) Negative lookbehind

-----
Shay Levi
$cript Fanatic
http://scriptolog.blogspot.com

Quote:

> The problem for me is that I am a Perl jock and the syntax for Perl
> vs. MS regular expressions is somewhat different. I was looking for
> negative and positive look-ahead and look-behind and couldn't come up
> with what I wanted.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
> SQL Server MVP
> Toronto, ON Canada
> https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau
> "BJ" <post@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:026e669a-dc07-4fa1-b586-7a99bcff4944@xxxxxx
> ...
> Thank you very much, it works!
> It will take a long time to get used to regular expressions,
> especially for a newbie like myself.......
> On 30 Jan., 20:32, "Tom Moreau" <t...@xxxxxx> wrote:
>

	Quote:
	>> Technically, it is correct. Looking just at the last bit, you asked >> it to match 4 digits, and there were 4 digits. There was also another >> digit, but that was not part of the match. If you want the entire >> string to match >>

> from
>

	Quote:
	>> beginning to end, try: >> >> $expression = "^[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}$" >> >> -- >> Tom >> ---------------------------------------------------- >> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS >> SQL Server MVP >> Toronto, ON >> Canadahttps://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau >> "BJ" <p...@xxxxxx> wrote in message >> >> news:1b523a23-05d3-4dc0-9285-9a4f7ad00eb7@xxxxxx >> ... Hello Group, >> >> This string matches although the number has 5 digits. What's wrong? >> >> $string = "NYC-CC-35225" >> $expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}" >> $string -match $expression >>

01-30-2008

Thanx. Looks like it's the same as Perl. Have you got a link to this at
the MSDN site?

--
Tom

----------------------------------------------------
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
SQL Server MVP
Toronto, ON Canada
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau

"Shay Levi" <no@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:8766a9441c84f8ca31a6cfa302f8@xxxxxx

Here's the .NET syntax

(?= ...) Positive lookahead
(?! ...) Negative lookahead
(?<= ...) Positive lookbehind
(?<! ...) Negative lookbehind

-----
Shay Levi
$cript Fanatic
http://scriptolog.blogspot.com

Quote:

> The problem for me is that I am a Perl jock and the syntax for Perl
> vs. MS regular expressions is somewhat different. I was looking for
> negative and positive look-ahead and look-behind and couldn't come up
> with what I wanted.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
> SQL Server MVP
> Toronto, ON Canada
> https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau
> "BJ" <post@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:026e669a-dc07-4fa1-b586-7a99bcff4944@xxxxxx
> ...
> Thank you very much, it works!
> It will take a long time to get used to regular expressions,
> especially for a newbie like myself.......
> On 30 Jan., 20:32, "Tom Moreau" <t...@xxxxxx> wrote:
>

	Quote:
	>> Technically, it is correct. Looking just at the last bit, you asked >> it to match 4 digits, and there were 4 digits. There was also another >> digit, but that was not part of the match. If you want the entire >> string to match >>

> from
>

	Quote:
	>> beginning to end, try: >> >> $expression = "^[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}$" >> >> -- >> Tom >> ---------------------------------------------------- >> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS >> SQL Server MVP >> Toronto, ON >> Canadahttps://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau >> "BJ" <p...@xxxxxx> wrote in message >> >> news:1b523a23-05d3-4dc0-9285-9a4f7ad00eb7@xxxxxx >> ... Hello Group, >> >> This string matches although the number has 5 digits. What's wrong? >> >> $string = "NYC-CC-35225" >> $expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}" >> $string -match $expression >>

01-30-2008

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms972966.aspx

-----
Shay Levi
$cript Fanatic
http://scriptolog.blogspot.com

Quote:

> Thanx. Looks like it's the same as Perl. Have you got a link to this
> at the MSDN site?
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
> SQL Server MVP
> Toronto, ON Canada
> https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau
> "Shay Levi" <no@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:8766a9441c84f8ca31a6cfa302f8@xxxxxx
> Here's the .NET syntax

>
> (?= ...) Positive lookahead
> (?! ...) Negative lookahead
> (?<= ...) Positive lookbehind
> (?<! ...) Negative lookbehind
> -----
> Shay Levi
> $cript Fanatic
> http://scriptolog.blogspot.com

Quote:

>> The problem for me is that I am a Perl jock and the syntax for Perl
>> vs. MS regular expressions is somewhat different. I was looking for
>> negative and positive look-ahead and look-behind and couldn't come up
>> with what I wanted.
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------
>> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
>> SQL Server MVP
>> Toronto, ON Canada
>> https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau
>> "BJ" <post@xxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:026e669a-dc07-4fa1-b586-7a99bcff4944@xxxxxx
>> m
>> ...
>> Thank you very much, it works!
>> It will take a long time to get used to regular expressions,
>> especially for a newbie like myself.......
>> On 30 Jan., 20:32, "Tom Moreau" <t...@xxxxxx> wrote:

	Quote:
	>>> Technically, it is correct. Looking just at the last bit, you asked >>> it to match 4 digits, and there were 4 digits. There was also >>> another digit, but that was not part of the match. If you want the >>> entire string to match >>>

>> from
>>

	Quote:
	>>> beginning to end, try: >>> >>> $expression = "^[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}$" >>> >>> -- >>> Tom >>> ---------------------------------------------------- >>> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS >>> SQL Server MVP >>> Toronto, ON >>> Canadahttps://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau >>> "BJ" <p...@xxxxxx> wrote in message >>> news:1b523a23-05d3-4dc0-9285-9a4f7ad00eb7@xxxxxx >>> m ... Hello Group, >>> >>> This string matches although the number has 5 digits. What's wrong? >>> >>> $string = "NYC-CC-35225" >>> $expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}" >>> $string -match $expression

01-30-2008	#1 (permalink)
BJ Guest	Simple Regular Expression Hello Group, This string matches although the number has 5 digits. What's wrong? $string = "NYC-CC-35225" $expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}" $string -match $expression

01-30-2008	#2 (permalink)
Tom Moreau Guest	Re: Simple Regular Expression Technically, it is correct. Looking just at the last bit, you asked it to match 4 digits, and there were 4 digits. There was also another digit, but that was not part of the match. If you want the entire string to match from beginning to end, try: $expression = "^[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}$" -- Tom ---------------------------------------------------- Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS SQL Server MVP Toronto, ON Canada https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Tom.Moreau "BJ" <post@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:1b523a23-05d3-4dc0-9285-9a4f7ad00eb7@xxxxxx Hello Group, This string matches although the number has 5 digits. What's wrong? $string = "NYC-CC-35225" $expression = "[a-z]{3}\-[a-z]{2}\-[0-9]{4}" $string -match $expression

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