Regular expression

[suityou01]

Hi,

I need some help with a regular expression. I am not a RegExp guy at all, and have no other way around the problem as the tool written uses regexp all over the place. If there was a way round I would take it.

That said.

How *** **** would you get the first directory out of the following string using regexp

C:\First directory\Second directory\Third directory\filename

^*\\*.*\\

returns me

'C:\First directory\'

Which is close but I just want

'First directory'

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[scotspine]

this is the 2nd time you've had a regexp question here s/y [they're not my fav subject either!]

it would be worth having a look at the regulator

http://sourceforge.net/projects/regulator/

as well as

http://www.regexplib.com/

these two should help a lot...

[suityou01]

this is the 2nd time you've had a regexp question here s/y [they're not my fav subject either!]

it would be worth having a look at the regulator

http://sourceforge.net/projects/regulator/

as well as

http://www.regexplib.com/

these two should help a lot...

Coincidentally its the second time I've been asked.

[DimPrawn]

Something like

^[a-zA-Z]{1}:\\(?<firstDir>[^\\]+)

[suityou01]

Something like

^[a-zA-Z]{1}:\\(?<firstDir>[^\\]+)

It looks great DP. I'm not having much luck though. It doesn't return anything.

I tried breaking it down so I just used

^[a-zA-Z]{1}:

which in my limited grasp of regexp should return

C:

But it doesn't

^[a-zA-Z]{1}

returns

C



In light of previous posts where I have got a right kicking from you, I just wanted to say thanks.

[suityou01]

In light of previous posts where I have got a right kicking from you, I just wanted to say thanks.

.... for the help, not the kickins.

[DimPrawn]

Works for me using http://www.ultrapico.com/Expresso.htm

//  using System.Text.RegularExpressions;

/// <summary>
///  Regular expression built for C# on: Thu, Sep 24, 2009, 06:10:31 PM
///  Using Expresso Version: 3.0.3276, http://www.ultrapico.com
///  
///  A description of the regular expression:
///  
///  Beginning of line or string
///  Any character in this class: [a-zA-Z], exactly 1 repetitions
///  :\\
///      :
///      Literal \
///  [firstDir]: A named capture group. [[^\\]+]
///      Any character that is NOT in this class: [\\], one or more repetitions
///  
///
/// </summary>
public static Regex regex = new Regex(
      "^[a-zA-Z]{1}:\\\\(?<firstDir>[^\\\\]+)",
    RegexOptions.IgnoreCase
    | RegexOptions.Singleline
    | RegexOptions.ExplicitCapture
    | RegexOptions.CultureInvariant
    | RegexOptions.IgnorePatternWhitespace
    | RegexOptions.Compiled
    );



//// Replace the matched text in the InputText using the replacement pattern
// string result = regex.Replace(InputText,regexReplace);

//// Split the InputText wherever the regex matches
// string[] results = regex.Split(InputText);

//// Capture the first Match, if any, in the InputText
// Match m = regex.Match(InputText);

//// Capture all Matches in the InputText
// MatchCollection ms = regex.Matches(InputText);

//// Test to see if there is a match in the InputText
// bool IsMatch = regex.IsMatch(InputText);

//// Get the names of all the named and numbered capture groups
// string[] GroupNames = regex.GetGroupNames();

//// Get the numbers of all the named and numbered capture groups
// int[] GroupNumbers = regex.GetGroupNumbers();

The named group firstDir contains the complete name of the first directory.

PS. You should be using http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...h_members.aspx to deal with paths, not regex.

[swamp]

Forget what the regexp returns...

^[^\\]+\\([^\\]+)\\

use the first capture group (bit in brackets) from the above.

[suityou01]

I know, and that's the kind of day I'm having.

If I take the "^" of the front it works superbly and now I don't need to stay here until 10pm.

Top work DP

Thanks

[suityou01]

PS. You should be using http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...h_members.aspx to deal with paths, not regex.

I know. Here's the rub. The tool was written by my predecessor who knows an awful lot about regexp.

Choices are, rewrite of the tool, or ask for some help on this forum. Suprisingly this worked out quicker.

This little nasty got dropped in my lap at 4:30.