[Solved] extract data between known strings with regex pattern

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I want to extract data between two know strings.
pattern 1 = [[
pattern 2 = ]]

I want data between first occurrence of the pattern1 and last occurrence of pattern2

Data = [[jhsa,dgvfjhvfhl[[ks,dbfvhbf]]jmsaefvkjhera]]mhsdgvgcvds[[MSNDvcgsdv h]]<JSVDjhgs]]

My Output : MSNDvcgsdv h]]<JSVDjhgs]]

Expected Output : [[jhsa,dgvfjhvfhl[[ks,dbfvhbf]]jmsaefvkjhera]]mhsdgvgcvds[[MSNDvcgsdv h]]<JSVDjhgs

please help me with this.

Thanks in advance

What I have tried:

var Datamsg = Regex.Match(Data, @"\[\[(.*)\]\]", RegexOptions.RightToLeft).Groups[1].Value;

Posted 9-May-18 8:29am

Member 13801408

Updated 10-May-18 11:41am

v5

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2 solutions

Solution 2

I appreciate RegEx; in this case, it's pretty simple to use String methods:

const string twoOpenBrackets = "[[";
const string twoCloseBrackets = "]]";

// in some method:

int ndx = data.IndexOf(twoOpenBrackets);

if(ndx < 0 || data == String.Empty) throw new ArgumentException("no [[");

data = data.Substring(ndx);

ndx = data.LastIndexOf(twoCloseBrackets);

if (ndx < 2) throw new ArgumentException("no ]]");

data = data.Substring(0, ndx);

Posted 10-May-18 11:43am

BillWoodruff

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Thomas Daniels · Accepted Answer · 2018-05-09T08:36:00

Solution 1

The problem is the .*? in your regex: the ? means "lazy" and will cause the regex to stop at the first ]] it comes across, but you want the last.

Remove the question mark (so replace .*? by .*), this will make the regex "greedy" and consume as much as possible.

Posted 9-May-18 8:36am

Thomas Daniels

Comments

BillWoodruff 10-May-18 19:51pm

+5