Develop Reference

Extracting Numbers from String RegEx

I am really struggling with Regular Expressions and can't seem to extract the number from this string
"id":143331539043251,
I've tried with this ... but I'm getting compilation errors
var regex = new Regex(#""id:"\d+,");
Note that the full string contains other numbers I don't want. I want numbers between id: and the ending ,

Try this code:
var match = Regex.Match(input, #"\""id\"":(?<num>\d+)");
var yourNumber = match.Groups["num"].Value;
Then use extracted number yourNumber as a string or parse it to number type.

If all you need is the digits, just match on that:
[0-9]+
Note that I am not using \d as that would match on any digit (such as Arabic numerals) in the .NET regex engine.
Update, following comments on the question and on this answer - the following regex will match the pattern and place the matched numbers in a capturing group:
#"""id"":([0-9]+),"
Used as:
Regex.Match(#"""id"":143331539043251,", #"""id"":([0-9]+),").Groups[1].Value
Which returns 143331539043251.

If you are open to using LINQ try the following (c#):
string stringVariable = "123cccccbb---556876---==";
var f = (from a in stringVariable.ToCharArray() where Char.IsDigit(a) == true select a);
var number = String.Join("", f);

.NET regex replace using backreference

I have a fairly long string that contains sub strings with the following format:
project[1]/someword[1]
project[1]/someotherword[1]
There will be about 10 or so instances of this pattern in the string.
What I want to do is to be able to replace the second integer in square brackets with a different one. So the string would look like this for instance:
project[1]/someword[2]
project[1]/someotherword[2]
I''m thinking that regular expressions are what I need here. I came up with the regex:
project\[1\]/.*\[([0-9])\]
Which should capture the group [0-9] so I can replace it with something else. I'm looking at MSDN Regex.Replace() but I'm not seeing how to replace part of a string that is captured with a value of your choosing. Any advice on how to accomplish this would be appreciated. Thanks much.
*Edit: * After working with #Tharwen some I have changed my approach a bit. Here is the new code I am working with:
String yourString = String yourString = #"<element w:xpath=""/project[1]/someword[1]""/> <anothernode></anothernode> <another element w:xpath=""/project[1]/someotherword[1]""/>";
int yourNumber = 2;
string anotherString = string.Empty;
anotherString = Regex.Replace(yourString, #"(?<=project\[1\]/.*\[)\d(?=\]"")", yourNumber.ToString());

Matched groups are replaced using the $1, $2 syntax as follows :-
csharp> Regex.Replace("Meaning of life is 42", #"([^\d]*)(\d+)", "$1($2)");
"Meaning of life is (42)"
If you are new to regular expressions in .NET I recommend http://www.ultrapico.com/Expresso.htm
Also http://www.regular-expressions.info/dotnet.html has some good stuff for quick reference.

I've adapted yours to use a lookbehind and lookahead to only match a digit which is preceded by 'project[1]/xxxxx[' and followed by ']':
(?<=project\[1\]/.*\[)\d(?=\]")
Then, you can use:
String yourString = "project[1]/someword[1]";
int yourNumber = 2;
yourString = Regex.Replace(yourString, #"(?<=project\[1\]/.*\[)\d(?=\]"")", yourNumber.ToString());
I think maybe you were confused because Regex.Replace has lots of overloads which do slightly different things. I've used this one.

If you want to process the value of a captured group before replacing it, you'll have to separate the different parts of the string, make your modifications and put them back together.
string test = "project[1]/someword[1]\nproject[1]/someotherword[1]\n";
string result = string.Empty;
foreach (Match match in Regex.Matches(test, #"(project\[1\]/.*\[)([0-9])(\]\n)"))
{
result += match.Groups[1].Value;
result += (int.Parse(match.Groups[2].Value) + 1).ToString();
result += match.Groups[3].Value;
}
If you just want to replace text verbatim, it's easier: Regex.Replace(test, #"abc(.*)cba", #"cba$1abc").

you can use String.Replace (String, String)
for example
String.Replace ("someword[1]", "someword[2]")

C# Regular Expressions

I have a string that has multiple regular expression groups, and some parts of the string that aren't in the groups. I need to replace a character, in this case ^ only within the groups, but not in the parts of the string that aren't in a regex group.
Here's the input string:
STARTDONTREPLACEME^ENDDONTREPLACEME~STARTREPLACEME^ENDREPLACEME~STARTREPLACEME^BLAH^ENDREPLACEME~STARTDONTREPLACEME^BLAH^ENDDONTREPLACEME~
Here's what the output string should look like:
STARTDONTREPLACEME^ENDDONTREPLACEME~STARTREPLACEMEENDREPLACEME~STARTREPLACEMEBLAHENDREPLACEME~STARTDONTREPLACEME^BLAH^ENDDONTREPLACEME~
I need to do it using C# and can use regular expressions.
I can match the string into groups of those that should and shouldn't be replaced, but am struggling on how to return the final output string.

I'm not sure I get exactly what you're having trouble with, but it didn't take long to come up with this result:
string strRegex = #"STARTREPLACEME(.+)ENDREPLACEME";
RegexOptions myRegexOptions = RegexOptions.None;
Regex myRegex = new Regex(strRegex, myRegexOptions);
string strTargetString = #"STARTDONTREPLACEME^ENDDONTREPLACEME~STARTREPLACEME^ENDREPLACEME~STARTREPLACEME^BLAH^ENDREPLACEME~STARTDONTREPLACEME^BLAH^ENDDONTREPLACEME~";
string strReplace = "STARTREPLACEMEENDREPLACEME";
return myRegex.Replace(strTargetString, strReplace);
By using my favorite online Regex tool: http://regexhero.net/tester/
Is that helpful?

Regex rgx = new Regex(
#"\^(?=(?>(?:(?!(?:START|END)(?:DONT)?REPLACEME).)*)ENDREPLACEME)");
string s1 = rgx.Replace(s0, String.Empty);
Explanation: Each time a ^ is found, the lookahead scans ahead for an ending delimiter (ENDREPLACEME). If it finds one without seeing any of the other delimiters first, the match must have occurred inside a REPLACEME group. If the lookahead reports failure, it indicates that the ^ was found either between groups or within a DONTREPLACEME group.
Because lookaheads are zero-width assertions, only the ^ will actually be consumed in the event of a successful match.
Be aware that this will only work if delimiters are always properly balanced and groups are never nested within other groups.

If you are able to separate into groups that should be replaced and those that shouldn't, then instead of providing a single replacement string, you should be able to use a MatchEvaluator (a delegate that takes a Match and returns a string) to make the decision of which case it is currently dealing with and return the replacement string for that group alone.
You may also use an additional regex inside the MatchEvaluator. This solution produces the expected output:
Regex outer = new Regex(#"STARTREPLACEME.+ENDREPLACEME", RegexOptions.Compiled);
Regex inner = new Regex(#"\^", RegexOptions.Compiled);
string replaced = outer.Replace(start, m =>
{
return inner.Replace(m.Value, String.Empty);
});

Regex.split, how to read left of the matched pattern

I am trying to convert a Perl script to a C# 3.5 routine.
The perl code I have is:
if($work =~ /\<[0-9][0-9][0-9]\>/){
$left = $`;
$match = $&;
$work = $';
}
In C# I wrote the following code:
string[] sSplit = Regex.Split(work, #"\<[0-9][0-9][0-9]\>");
if sSplit.length is > 2
{
left = sSplit[0];
match = sSplit[1];
work = sSPlit[2];
}
However the above is not giving me the matched pattern in sSplit[1], but the content to the right of the matched string instead.

Regex.Split is not what you need. The equivalent to =~ /.../ is Regex.Match.
However, Regex.Match has no equivalent to Perl’s $` or $', so you need to use a workaround, but I think it’s a fair one:
var m = Regex.Match(work, #"^(.*?)(\<[0-9][0-9][0-9]\>)(.*)$", RegexOptions.Singleline);
if (m.Success)
{
left = m.Groups[0].Value;
match = m.Groups[1].Value; // perhaps with Convert.ToInt32()?
work = m.Groups[2].Value;
}
Alternatively, you can use the match index and length to get the stuff:
var m = Regex.Match(work, #"^\<[0-9][0-9][0-9]\>");
if (m.Success)
{
left = work.Substring(0, m.Index);
match = m.Value; // perhaps with Convert.ToInt32()?
work = work.Substring(m.Index + m.Length);
}

When trying regular expressions, I always recomment RegexHero, which is an online tool that visualizes your .NET regular expressions. In this case, use Regex.Match and use Groups. That'll give what you want.
Note that the backslash in \< and \> are not needed in C# (nor in Perl, btw).
Also note that $`, $& and $' have equivalents in C# when used in a replacement expression. If that's what you need in the end, you can use these "magic variables", but only in Regex.Replace.

A split is usually asking to throw away the delimiters. Perl acts just the same way (without the verboten $& type variables.)
You capture delimters in Perl by putting parens around them:
my #parts = split /(<[0-9][0-9][0-9]>)/; # includes the delimiter
my #parts = split /<[0-9][0-9][0-9]>/; # doesn't include the delimiter

RegEx Problem using .NET

I have a little problem on RegEx pattern in c#. Here's the rule below:
input: 1234567
expected output: 123/1234567
Rules:
Get the first three digit in the input. //123
Add /
Append the the original input. //123/1234567
The expected output should looks like this: 123/1234567
here's my regex pattern:
regex rx = new regex(#"((\w{1,3})(\w{1,7}))");
but the output is incorrect. 123/4567

I think this is what you're looking for:
string s = #"1234567";
s = Regex.Replace(s, #"(\w{3})(\w+)", #"$1/$1$2");
Instead of trying to match part of the string, then match the whole string, just match the whole thing in two capture groups and reuse the first one.

It's not clear why you need a RegEx for this. Why not just do:
string x = "1234567";
string result = x.Substring(0, 3) + "/" + x;

Another option is:
string s = Regex.Replace("1234567", #"^\w{3}", "$&/$&"););
That would capture 123 and replace it to 123/123, leaving the tail of 4567.
^\w{3} - Matches the first 3 characters.
$& - replace with the whole match.
You could also do #"^(\w{3})", "$1/$1" if you are more comfortable with it; it is better known.

Use positive look-ahead assertions, as they don't 'consume' characters in the current input stream, while still capturing input into groups:
Regex rx = new Regex(#"(?'group1'?=\w{1,3})(?'group2'?=\w{1,7})");
group1 should be 123, group2 should be 1234567.