How to use regex with different pattern in a multiline string in python

Question

str1 = ''''
  interface is up
  admin state is up
  mtu is 1500

 '''

 str2 = 'interface is up admin state is up'

 pat = re.compile(r"interface is ([A-za-z]+) admin state is ([A-za-z]+)")

 matches = pat.finditer(str2)

for match in matches:
    print match.group()
    print match.group(1)
    print match.group(2)

the above regex pattern works for str2 (which doesn;t have newline) but not for str1 which has the same text but with newline.

I tried using re.M as well but that also doesn't seem to work.

I wanted to filter the interface status, admin status and mtu with different patterns on a multiline string.

replace newlines with space for str1.

vishal
– vishal

2018-07-05 13:05:56 +00:00
Commented Jul 5, 2018 at 13:05 — vishal
– vishal, Commented Jul 5, 2018 at 13:05

Sunitha · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-05 12:59:41Z

1

Try changing your pattern to optionally include newlines and whitespaces before admin state

r"interface is ([A-za-z]+)[\s\r\n]*admin state is ([A-za-z]+)"

Example

pat = re.compile(r"interface is ([A-za-z]+)[\s\r\n]*admin state is ([A-za-z]+)", re.MULTILINE)
matches = pat.finditer(str1)
for match in matches:
    print match.groups()
# ('up', 'up')

answered Jul 5, 2018 at 12:59

Sunitha

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2 Comments

Vijay Over a year ago

Thanks a lot. One more query. if the string is multiline with : in it, when it used something like this [\s\w,:]+. it selected almost all the lines. looks like it became greedy. how do I restrict it not to go beyond that line?

Sunitha Over a year ago

Adding a ? after the * or + makes it non-greedy. So try using [\s\w,:]+?

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