CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaregexsplit
user2470746
user2470746

Reputation: 55

How to do 'NOT' in regex?

Im trying to use the Split Function in Java. The character i'm trying to split at is ;.

So my code is like this:

string.split(";");

However, inside the string I have many escaped \;. I wanted to a regex which would not split at \; but only split at where the ; is on its own.

Example of String:

sometexthere\;shhshshshhs;shhshshshshs\;dddddd;

Expected Result:

[0] sometexthere\;shhshshshhs;
[1] shhshshshshs\;dddddd;

Any Help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Upvotes: 2

Views: 137

Answers (2)

Kent
Kent

Reputation: 195049

try this:

str.split("(?<!\\\\);");

EDIT

if you do want to have the spliter (the ;) in result array:

str.split("(?<=[^\\\\];)");

Note that single look-behind is sufficient for this problem.

and this time, I did a test:

final String str = "sometexthere\\;shhshshshhs;shhshshshshs\\;dddddd;";
System.out.println(Arrays.toString(str.split("(?<=[^\\\\];)")));

it outputs:

[sometexthere\;shhshshshhs;, shhshshshshs\;dddddd;]

Upvotes: 5

Pshemo
Pshemo

Reputation: 124225

Try with split("(?<=(?<!\\\\);)") if you don't want to remove ; but just split after it. We are using here double look-behind mechanisms:

  • positive look-behind (?<=...)
  • negative look-behind (?<!...)

(?<=;) will find places that has ; before it, but we also have to make sure that ; doesn't have \ before, so we can write it as (?<=(?<!\\\\);).

Upvotes: 2

Related Questions