Regex to find segment of string searching from end

Question

I'm in Java and have a string that will always be in this format:

;<a href="#" onClick="return CCL(this,'#461610734')" cs="c6"><b>gerg(1314)</b><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;(KC)</a><br>

This number 461610734 will change and may be any length.. I'd like to pick that number out and use it. As you can see the number is next to a ' (the first one working backwards) and a hash # (again, the first one working backwards).

I can find the numbers after the hash by using ([^\#]+$) and I can find up to the last ' by using ([^\']+$) (but this would be on the wrong side of the '...)

I'm lost... Anyone know how to join these two together and nudge the ' along one to the left to just get the numbers?

Would something like (?<='#)\d+ as a Java string (?<='#)\\d+ help you? Using a lookbehind. — Jonny 5
– Jonny 5, Commented Mar 19, 2014 at 0:46
This one works perfectly! Thanks! my idea was so far away! hah — user3435528
– user3435528, Commented Mar 19, 2014 at 0:49

ccjmne · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-19 00:52:18Z

1

Actually, I believe that you could simply extract "the digits that immediately follow a #".

You could then use the following regex: (?<=#)\d+.

On the other hand, if you really want to specify that your digits are following a # and followed by a ', you could (should?) make use of the look-arounds.
The following regex should be what you're looking for:

(?<=#)\d+(?=')

You can see it live by clicking this link.

edited Mar 19, 2014 at 0:52

answered Mar 19, 2014 at 0:46

ccjmne

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user3435528 Over a year ago

this would work perfectly (i should have mentioned that there were a few numbers missing from the beginning of the string which i didnt inclide in the string example... hence the request for backwards.) Thanks though!

Tony Zampogna · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-19 00:59:25Z

0

Try this:

String str = ";<a href=\"#\" onClick=\"return CCL(this,'#461610734')\" cs=\"c6\"><b>gerg(1314)</b><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;(KC)</a><br>";
Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("onClick=\"return CCL\\(this,'#([0-9]+)'");
Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(str);
if (matcher.find()) {
    System.out.println(matcher.group(1)); // Prints 461610734
}

answered Mar 19, 2014 at 0:59

Tony Zampogna

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