Match after bar
The following pattern tries to match a number (the submatch) after the text bar.
If the pattern matches, it is returns the submatch via the matchCollection property.
option explicit
sub main() ' {
debug.print numberAfterBar("foo 42 bar 99 baz 10") -- 99
debug.print numberAfterBar("xxx 42 yyy 99 zzz 10") -- n/a
end sub ' }
function numberAfterBar(txt as string) as string ' {
dim re as new regExp
re.pattern = "bar +(\d+)"
dim mtcColl as matchCollection
set mtcColl = re.execute(txt)
if mtcColl.count = 0 then
numberAfterBar = "n/a"
exit function
end if
dim mtc as match
set mtc = mtcColl(0)
numberAfterBar = mtc.subMatches(0)
end function ' }
Match words
The following example tries to demonstrate two approaches on how to match words in a string.
option explicit
sub main() ' {
call doBoth("foo bar baz" )
call doBoth("" )
call doBoth("one two three four five six seven")
end sub ' }
sub doBoth(txt as string) ' {
call matchUpToSixWords(txt)
call matchAllWords (txt)
end sub ' }
sub matchUpToSixWords(txt as string) ' {
debug.print("Get up to 6 words of """ & txt & """")
dim re as new regExp
re.pattern = "(\w+)?( +)?" & _
"(\w+)?( +)?" & _
"(\w+)?( +)?" & _
"(\w+)?( +)?" & _
"(\w+)?( +)?" & _
"(\w+)?"
dim match as matchCollection
set match = re.execute(txt)
' debug.print(typeName(match)) ' IMatchCollection2
' debug.print("Count of matches = " & match.count)
dim parantheses as subMatches
set parantheses = match(0).submatches
' debug.print(typeName(parantheses)) ' ISubMatches
' debug.print("Count of submatches = " & parantheses.count) ' 11 because there are 11 parantheses-pairs.
dim i as long
for i = 0 to 11 step 2
if not isEmpty(parantheses(i)) then
debug.print(" " & parantheses(i))
end if
next i
end sub ' }
sub matchAllWords(txt as string) ' {
debug.print("Get all words of """ & txt & """")
dim re as new regExp
re.global = true ' Kind of important...
re.pattern = "\w+ *"
dim matches as matchCollection
set matches = re.execute(txt)
' debug.print("matches.count = " & matches.count)
dim word as variant
for each word in matches
debug.print(" " & word)
next word
end sub ' }