Ad:

Python Discussion Thread
Unsolved
Views: 1347

Oct 9th, 2008

Regex for re.match not working as expected.

Expand Post »

I have the following code:

python Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
import re
string = 'c:\test.doc'
if re.match(r":\\[0-9a-z]", string):
      ##r":\\[0-9a-z]" should match ':\t'
      print 'true'
else:
      print 'false'
import re
string = 'c:\test.doc'
if re.match(r":\\[0-9a-z]", string):
      ##r":\\[0-9a-z]" should match ':\t'
      print 'true'
else:
      print 'false'

the problem I am having is that this is always evaluating to false.

unkwntech

Reputation Points: 10

Solved Threads: 0

Newbie Poster

Offline

2 posts
since Oct 2008

Permalink

Oct 9th, 2008

Re: Regex for re.match not working as expected.

The substring "\t" in string is evaluated as a tab character. The re method match only matches at the beginning of a string. Try this:

Python Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
import re
s = r'c:\test.doc'
m = re.search(r":(\\[0-9a-z])", s)
if m:
      print m.group(1)
else:
      print m
import re
s = r'c:\test.doc'
m = re.search(r":(\\[0-9a-z])", s)
if m:
      print m.group(1)
else:
      print m

solsteel

Reputation Points: 86

Solved Threads: 40

Junior Poster

Offline

141 posts
since Mar 2007

Permalink

Oct 9th, 2008

Re: Regex for re.match not working as expected.

Ok, I'm not used to that yet, in PHP if I encased the string in ' it would have not evaluated the \t, or any other special character.

Thanks.

unkwntech

Reputation Points: 10

Solved Threads: 0

Newbie Poster

Offline

2 posts
since Oct 2008

Permalink

Oct 10th, 2008

Re: Regex for re.match not working as expected.

you could just as easily do s = 'c:\\test.doc'

jlm699

Reputation Points: 355

Solved Threads: 292

Veteran Poster

Offline

1,102 posts
since Jul 2008

Permalink

Oct 10th, 2008

Re: Regex for re.match not working as expected.

If the file name is a variable returned from some source:

Python Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
>>> s = "c:\test.doc"
>>> s1 = repr(s).strip("'")
>>> s1
'c:\\test.doc'
>>>
>>> s = "c:\test.doc"
>>> s1 = repr(s).strip("'")
>>> s1
'c:\\test.doc'
>>>

solsteel

Reputation Points: 86

Solved Threads: 40

Junior Poster

Offline

141 posts
since Mar 2007

This thread is more than three months old

No one has posted to this discussion for at least three months. Please let old threads die and do not reply to them unless you feel you have something new and valuable to contribute that absolutely must be added to make the discussion complete. Otherwise, please start a new thread in this forum instead.

Previous Thread in Python Forum Timeline: Up for a challenge? Complete coding noob in need of help to code on mobile platform

Next Thread in Python Forum Timeline: win32clipboard problem

DaniWeb Message

Cancel Changes

User Name
Password