Parse String from string with Regex

Question

I want to get string from a string with Regex :

Regex regex = new Regex(".signature=(.*)(", RegexOptions.Singleline);
var v = regex.Match(html);
string funcName = v.Groups[1].Value;

This is the a HTML string:

c&&(b.signature=hj(c));

And i want to get the hj, and when i run it i get this exception:

parsing ".signature=(.*)(" - Not enough )'s.

x4rf41 · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-06 14:17:46Z

6

you have to escape special characters. use this:

Regex regex = new Regex(@"\.signature=(.*)\(", RegexOptions.Singleline);
var v = regex.Match(html);
string funcName = v.Result("$1");

you can find a very good explanation about escaping special characters in regex here (2nd paragraph): http://www.regular-expressions.info/characters.html

Edit:

if you search for this specific function in an entire html page, you will have problems, that is because .*is greedy, which means it tries to get as much as possbile (see a good explanation about that here: http://www.regular-expressions.info/repeat.html (3rd paragraph))

a better way would be:

Regex regex = new Regex(@"\.signature=([^\(]+)\(", RegexOptions.Singleline);
var v = regex.Match(html);
string funcName = v.Result("$1");

[^\(]+ searches for a string of at least 1 character without a (. that would work on an entire html page

edited Aug 6, 2013 at 14:17

answered Aug 6, 2013 at 13:51

x4rf41

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8 Comments

x4rf41 Over a year ago

@GrantThomas learn a programming language, and you should know

Grant Thomas Over a year ago

What about when learning a language? What about when the languages are mixed?

x4rf41 Over a year ago

@GrantThomas please, write an answer that explains everything, i will upvote it. but i wont explain stuff that anyone (even when learning to program) can find out in a simple google search, probably very well explained

Grant Thomas Over a year ago

Well that's your privilege, but doesn't exactly make a remarkable answer.

x4rf41 Over a year ago

@GrantThomas im not trying to be remarkable here, but is it so hard to enter 'escape special characters regex' into a search engine?

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