Python RegEx: Extract link

Question

I have this like:

javascript:ColdFusion.Window.show('theformats');ColdFusion.navigate('exportformats.cfm?id=1900067&expformat=bibtex','theformats');

Let's split this into 2 parts:

1) 'exportformats.cfm?id=1900067&expformat=bibtex' 2) all the rest, left and right of it

What the BEST way in Python to get 1) given that 2) never changes?

So far, I have tried "finding" [ColdFusion.navigate('] in the string and slicing from there until [','] but I would really like to learn how to concoct the very best RegEx for it and do so in Python, please.

Paulo Scardine · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-21 19:12:16Z

1

>>> import re
>>> sample = "javascript:ColdFusion.Window.show('theformats');ColdFusion.navigate('exportformats.cfm?id=1900067&expformat=bibtex','theformats');"
>>> regex = r"javascript:ColdFusion\.Window\.show\('theformats'\);ColdFusion.navigate\('([^']+)','theformats'\);"
>>> print re.match(regex, sample).group(1)
'exportformats.cfm?id=1900067&expformat=bibtex'

answered Jul 21, 2012 at 19:12

Paulo Scardine

78.2k12 gold badges134 silver badges153 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Waleed Khan · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-21 19:08:42Z

1

You don't need a regex. Oftentimes, when faced with paired symbols, you can do something like this:

mystr = "javascript:ColdFusion.Window.show('theformats');ColdFusion.navigate('exportformats.cfm?id=1900067&expformat=bibtex','theformats');"
mystr.split("'")[3] # Returns exportformats.cfm?id=1900067&expformat=bibtex

answered Jul 21, 2012 at 19:08

Waleed Khan

11.5k7 gold badges41 silver badges70 bronze badges

1 Comment

pat34515 Over a year ago

This is perhaps the best solution, unless of course, 1) has single quotes inside of it.

pat34515 · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-23 23:52:46Z

1

I agree with arxanas's answer but if your 1) might include single quotes or other characters in it:

str = "javascript:ColdFusion.Window.show('theformats');ColdFusion.navigate('exportformats.cfm?id=1900067'&expformat=bibtex','theformats');"
str = str.split("javascript:ColdFusion.Window.show('theformats');ColdFusion.navigate('")[1].split("','theformats');")[0]

http://codepad.org/lAk5d6ZV

edited Jul 23, 2012 at 23:52

answered Jul 21, 2012 at 19:18

pat34515

1,97912 silver badges13 bronze badges

Comments

Jon Clements · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-21 19:27:24Z

0

I believe you're after:

re.search(r"ColdFusion.navigate\('(.*?)'", string).group(1)

Or for before and after:

m = re.match(r"(.*?)ColdFusion.navigate\('(.*?)'(.*)", string)
# m.group(1) == before, m.group(2) = url, m.group(3) = after

edited Jul 21, 2012 at 19:27

answered Jul 21, 2012 at 19:10

Jon Clements

143k34 gold badges254 silver badges288 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Python RegEx: Extract link

4 Answers 4

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

4 Answers 4

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related