CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaregex
Watt
Watt

Reputation: 3164

How to use ^ (start of string) in RegExp

See my work in progress RegExp Ltd[.'s]{0,2} http://rubular.com/r/1FZvA9Nlul

I am running it against this list:

Ltd's
Ltd.
Ltd
LtdTestTEst
Ltds
sdfTestLtd

How to write a RegExp so that I don't match sdfTestLtd and LtdTestTEst, which my current RegExp matches.

To further clarify.

I pass above list through java's String.matches() method and I want it to return true only for following pattern:

Ltd's
Ltd.
Ltd
Ltds

Upvotes: 2

Views: 140

Answers (5)

Marcin Szymczak
Marcin Szymczak

Reputation: 11433

Use this regex ^Ltd[.'s]{0,2}$

Upvotes: 0

leonbloy
leonbloy

Reputation: 75906

You should not need to.

The ^ $ special characters, to signal begin/end of string, are not usually necessary in Java, if using String.matches() or equivalent methods, because Java (contrarily to other search/match operators in other languages, and contrarily to Rubular tool) matches the full string.

   System.out.println("xHello".matches("Hello"));
   // false: no match
   System.out.println("xHello".matches(".*Hello"));
   // true: match
   System.out.println("sdfTestLtd ".matches("Ltd[.'s]{0,2}"));
   // false: no match

Upvotes: 3

Reinstate Monica -- notmaynard
Reinstate Monica -- notmaynard

Reputation: 5490

This should match your examples exactly: ^Ltd('?s|\.)?$

Upvotes: 5

Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica

Reputation: 31184

just put the ^ at the beginning. I think you might be confused by how the output works.

It appears print just anything you write to the Match result: window , but only matches will be highlighted.

if you want to also control the end of string, than you can use $ for that

Upvotes: 2

Dave Newton
Dave Newton

Reputation: 160191

Put a ^ at the beginning, and a $ at the end.

http://rubular.com/r/F2VQUUvWLf

Upvotes: 4

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