CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#.netregex
Evan Gertis
Evan Gertis

Reputation: 2052

Trying to regex a string with backslashes and quotes

I am trying to regex a string in csharp. I am expecting to pass a string with the following format:

<%=Application(\"DisplayName\")%>

and get back:

DisplayName

I am using the regex class to accomplish this:

var text = "<%=Application(\"DisplayName\")%>";
Regex regex = new Regex(@"(<\%=Application[\>\(\)][\\][""](.*?)[\\][""][\>\(\)k]%\>)");
var v = regex.Match(text);
var s = v.Groups[1].ToString();

I am expecting s to contain the output string, but it is coming back as "". I tried building the regex string step by step, but I can't get the \ or " to process correctly. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Upvotes: 0

Views: 56

Answers (2)

dvo
dvo

Reputation: 2153

Your pattern is very close. Since the backslashes are not actually a part of the string, rather only in the string to escape the double quotes, they need to be left out of the regex pattern. Notice I removed the [\\] from before both of the double quotes [""].

Now, you expect DisplayName in Group[1]. Since Regex sticks the entire match in Group[0], that made your outer capture group (whole pattern in parenthesis) the first actual capture group (Making DisplayName actually Group[2]). For best practice, I changed the outer capture group to be a non-capture group by adding ?: to the open parenthesis. This ignores this full group and makes DisplayName Group[1]. Hope this helps.

Full test code: 

var text = "<%=Application(\"DisplayName\")%>";
Regex regex = new Regex(@"(?:<\%=Application[\>\(\)][""](.*?)[""][\>\(\)k]%\>)");
var v = regex.Match(text);
var s = v.Groups[1].ToString();

Upvotes: 1

Elias N
Elias N

Reputation: 1450

var text = "<%=Application(\"DisplayName\")%>";
Regex regex = new Regex(@"(<%=Application[>()][""](.*?)[""][>()k]%>)");
var v = regex.Match(text);
var s = v.Groups[1].ToString();

Upvotes: 1

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