Python: How to use RegEx in an if statement? - Stack Overflow
Explain Like I'm 5: Regular Expressions
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import re
if re.match(regex, content):
blah..
You could also use re.search depending on how you want it to match.
You can run this example:
"""
very nice interface to try regexes: https://regex101.com/
"""
# %%
"""Simple if statement with a regex"""
import re
regex = r"\s*Proof.\s*"
contents = ['Proof.\n', '\nProof.\n']
for content in contents:
assert re.match(regex, content), f'Failed on {content=} with {regex=}'
if re.match(regex, content):
print(content)
if re.search(r'pattern', string):
Simple if-regex example:
if re.search(r'ing\b', "seeking a great perhaps"): # any words end with ing?
print("yes")
Complex if-regex example (pattern check, extract a substring, case insensitive):
search_object = re.search(r'^OUGHT (.*) BE$', "ought to be", flags=re.IGNORECASE)
if search_object:
assert "to" == search_object.group(1) # what's between ought and be?
Notes:
Use
re.search()not re.match. The match method restricts to the start of the string, a confusing convention. If you want that, search explicitly with caret:re.search(r'^...', ...)(Or in re.MULTILINE mode use\A)Use raw string syntax
r'pattern'for the first parameter. Otherwise you would need to double up backslashes, as inre.search('ing\\b', ...)In these examples,
'\\b'orr'\b'is a special sequence meaning word-boundary for regex purposes. Not to be confused with'\b'or'\x08'backspace.re.search()returnsNoneif it doesn't find anything, which is always falsy.re.search()returns a Match object if it finds anything, which is always truthy.even though re.search() returns a Match object (
type(search_object) is re.Match) I have taken to calling the return value asearch_object. I keep returning to my own bloody answer here because I can't remember whether to use match or search. It's search, dammit.a group is what matched inside pattern parentheses.
group numbering starts at 1.
Specs
Tutorial
Could someone please explain regular expressions and how they're used?
Every tutorial I've read online spends a lot of time going over special characters until I glaze over. After reading a bunch, I know what the special characters are, but not why/how to use them.
Could you include a simple function that illustrates?
Thank you