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Regular_Expressions [2018/07/08 20:58] JMichaelTX [ICU 55+ Metacharacters] |
Regular_Expressions [2021/10/19 22:34] peternlewis |
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| - | {{:regex-icon.png?nolink |}} | ||
| ====== Regular Expressions (RegEx) ====== | ====== Regular Expressions (RegEx) ====== | ||
| - | + | Keyboard Maestro uses [[https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/action/linkthru?regularexpressionreferenceoverview|ICU Regular Expressions]] (aka RegEx or RegExp) which is very similar to PCRE (Perl Compatible Regular Expressions), and you can read their [documentation](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/action/linkthru?regularexpressionreference) by choosing ICU Regular Expression Reference from the Help menu in Keyboard Maestro. | |
| - | Keyboard Maestro uses [[http://userguide.icu-project.org/strings/regexp|ICU Regular Expressions]] (aka RegEx or RegExp) which is very similar to PCRE (Perl Compatible Regular Expressions), and you can read their [documentation](http://userguide.icu-project.org/strings/regexp#TOC-Regular-Expression-Metacharacters) by choosing ICU Regular Expression Reference from the Help menu in Keyboard Maestro. | + | |
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| There are many Actions in Keyboard Maestro where you can use a regular expression, which may not be obvious. For more info see [Places where Regular Expressions can be used](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/places-where-regular-expressions-can-be-used/4392). | There are many Actions in Keyboard Maestro where you can use a regular expression, which may not be obvious. For more info see [Places where Regular Expressions can be used](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/places-where-regular-expressions-can-be-used/4392). | ||
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| - | ---- | ||
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| ===== Search Modifiers ===== | ===== Search Modifiers ===== | ||
| - | The ICU calls these modifiers "[[http://userguide.icu-project.org/strings/regexp#TOC-Flag-Options|flag options]]". | + | The ICU calls these modifiers "[[https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/action/linkthru?regularexpressionreferenceflags|flag options]]". |
| The search modifier "Pattern to Use" shown below is placed at the very beginning of the Search/Find Regular Expression box.\\ | The search modifier "Pattern to Use" shown below is placed at the very beginning of the Search/Find Regular Expression box.\\ | ||
| Line 31: | Line 25: | ||
| ^Purpose^Pattern to Use^Description^ | ^Purpose^Pattern to Use^Description^ | ||
| - | |Global|NONE|All searches are global in Keyboard Maestro.\\ This is often indicated in other tools by the `/g` modifier.| | + | |Global|NONE|The [[action:Search_using_Regular_Expression|Search using Regular Expression Action]] will return the _first_ match it finds in the source string.\\ In order to make it be a "global" search, you need to put this Action in a [[action:For_Each|For Each Action]] that uses the [ [[collection:Substrings_In|Substrings Matching in]] ] [[:Collections|Collection]]. This will loop through all matches found in the source string.\\ This is often indicated in other tools by the `/g` modifier.| |
| |Case Insensitive|`(?i)`|Matching will be in a case-insensitive manner.\\ In some Actions this is NOT necessary since the Action already provides an "ignoring case" option.| | |Case Insensitive|`(?i)`|Matching will be in a case-insensitive manner.\\ In some Actions this is NOT necessary since the Action already provides an "ignoring case" option.| | ||
| |Dot includes EOL|`(?s)`|A "`.`" in a pattern will match a line terminator in the input text. Note that a CR LF pair in text behave as a single line terminator, and will match a single "." in a RE pattern.| | |Dot includes EOL|`(?s)`|A "`.`" in a pattern will match a line terminator in the input text. Note that a CR LF pair in text behave as a single line terminator, and will match a single "." in a RE pattern.| | ||
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| ===== Capture Groups ===== | ===== Capture Groups ===== | ||
| + | |||
| * Use the form of `$<CG#>`, or `\<CG#>` (in ver 8+) in the Action Replace box, where `<CG#>` is the number for the capture group. | * Use the form of `$<CG#>`, or `\<CG#>` (in ver 8+) in the Action Replace box, where `<CG#>` is the number for the capture group. | ||
| * Examples: | * Examples: | ||
| - | * `$1, $2, $3` | + | * `$1`, `$2`, `$23` |
| - | * `\1, \2, \3` | + | * `${1}`, ${2}`, ${23}`, |
| + | * `${name}` - named capture group (v9.2+, 10.13+) | ||
| + | * `\1`, `\2`, `\3` - single digit only (v8.0+) | ||
| * This is the same as `\<CG#>` used in other apps/languages, like BBEdit. | * This is the same as `\<CG#>` used in other apps/languages, like BBEdit. | ||
| + | * The zeroth capture group (eg `$0`) is the entire match. | ||
| For more information, see [[https://www.regular-expressions.info/brackets.html | Capture Groups]]. | For more information, see [[https://www.regular-expressions.info/brackets.html | Capture Groups]]. | ||
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| You can use Keyboard Maestro [[Tokens|Text Tokens]] anywhere appropriate in both the Search pattern and the Replace pattern. | You can use Keyboard Maestro [[Tokens|Text Tokens]] anywhere appropriate in both the Search pattern and the Replace pattern. | ||
| - | --- | ||
| ===== ICU 55+ Metacharacters ===== | ===== ICU 55+ Metacharacters ===== | ||
| - | For the currently complete list, see [ICU Regular Expression Metacharacters](http://userguide.icu-project.org/strings/regexp#TOC-Regular-Expression-Metacharacters). | + | For the currently complete list, see [ICU Regular Expression Metacharacters](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/action/linkthru?regularexpressionreference). |
| - | + | ||
| - | **New Metacharacters Available in ICU 55+**(([ICU Regular Expression Metacharacters](http://userguide.icu-project.org/strings/regexp#TOC-Regular-Expression-Metacharacters))) | + | |
| [ICU 55](http://site.icu-project.org/download/55) was released on 2015-04-01, and is available in the follow software versions: | [ICU 55](http://site.icu-project.org/download/55) was released on 2015-04-01, and is available in the follow software versions: | ||
| * macOS 10.11+ (El Capitan) except for JavaScript | * macOS 10.11+ (El Capitan) except for JavaScript | ||
| - | * Keyboard Maestro 8.0+ Native Actions [FIXME: Need to confirm KM version] | + | * Keyboard Maestro Native Actions |
| These Metacharacters offer some powerful solutions to long-standing RegEx problems. These can replace complicated RegEx patterns previously required, and are recommended for use if you are running the required versions. For example, `\h` and `\R`. ICU 55 is _not_ available in all RegEx engines. A notable exception is JavaScript (and JXA), even in High Sierra. So if you are using the native Keyboard Maestro Actions that use RegEx, it would be available, but not necessarily in Actions that use Execute Script in another language. It is available in Execute AppleScript Actions that use ASObjC RegEx. | These Metacharacters offer some powerful solutions to long-standing RegEx problems. These can replace complicated RegEx patterns previously required, and are recommended for use if you are running the required versions. For example, `\h` and `\R`. ICU 55 is _not_ available in all RegEx engines. A notable exception is JavaScript (and JXA), even in High Sierra. So if you are using the native Keyboard Maestro Actions that use RegEx, it would be available, but not necessarily in Actions that use Execute Script in another language. It is available in Execute AppleScript Actions that use ASObjC RegEx. | ||
| - | [FIXME: Need to confirm and complete Alternate Expressions] | + | ^ New Metacharacters in ICU 55+(([ICU Regular Expression Metacharacters](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/action/linkthru?regularexpressionreference))) ^^^ |
| - | + | ||
| - | ^ New Metacharacters in ICU 55+(([ICU Regular Expression Metacharacters](http://userguide.icu-project.org/strings/regexp#TOC-Regular-Expression-Metacharacters))) ^^^ | + | |
| ^ Character ^ Alternate Expression\\ (Pre ICU 55) ^ Description ^ | ^ Character ^ Alternate Expression\\ (Pre ICU 55) ^ Description ^ | ||
| | `\h` | `[^\S\r\n\f]` | Match a Horizontal White Space character.\\ They are characters with Unicode General Category of Space_Separator plus the ASCII tab (\u0009). | | | `\h` | `[^\S\r\n\f]` | Match a Horizontal White Space character.\\ They are characters with Unicode General Category of Space_Separator plus the ASCII tab (\u0009). | | ||
| - | | `\H` | TBD | Match a non-Horizontal White Space character. | | + | | `\H` | `[\S\r\n\f]` | Match a non-Horizontal White Space character. | |
| - | | `\k<name>` | TBD | Named Capture Back Reference. | | + | | `\k<name>` | //No Alternative// | Named Capture Back Reference. | |
| | `\R` | `(?:\r?\n|\r)` | Match a new line character, or the sequence CR LF.\\ The new line characters are \u000a, \u000b, \u000c, \u000d, \u0085, \u2028, \u2029 | | | `\R` | `(?:\r?\n|\r)` | Match a new line character, or the sequence CR LF.\\ The new line characters are \u000a, \u000b, \u000c, \u000d, \u0085, \u2028, \u2029 | | ||
| | `\v` | `[\n\r]` | Match a new line character.\\ The new line characters are \u000a, \u000b, \u000c, \u000d, \u0085, \u2028, \u2029.\\ Does not match the new line sequence CR LF. | | | `\v` | `[\n\r]` | Match a new line character.\\ The new line characters are \u000a, \u000b, \u000c, \u000d, \u0085, \u2028, \u2029.\\ Does not match the new line sequence CR LF. | | ||
| - | | `\V` | TBD | Match a non-new line character. | | + | | `\V` | `[^\n\r]` | Match a non-new line character. | |
| - | + | For an in-depth discussion, see this Forum topic: [RegEx for Horizontal Whitespace](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/wiki-update-regex-icu-55-metacharacters/10788). | |
| - | --- | + | |
| ===== Examples ===== | ===== Examples ===== | ||
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| ===== See also: ===== | ===== See also: ===== | ||
| - | |||
| - | ---- | ||
| === Actions === | === Actions === | ||
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| * [[:Triggers|See all Triggers]] | * [[:Triggers|See all Triggers]] | ||
| - | ---- | ||
| ==== Macros That Use RegEx ==== | ==== Macros That Use RegEx ==== | ||
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| ==== General ==== | ==== General ==== | ||
| - | - [[http://userguide.icu-project.org/strings/regexp|ICU Regular Expressions]] | + | - [[https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/action/linkthru?regularexpressionreferenceoverview|ICU Regular Expressions]] |
| - [ICU Unicode Properties for Regular Expressions](http://unicode.keyboardmaestro.com) | - [ICU Unicode Properties for Regular Expressions](http://unicode.keyboardmaestro.com) | ||
| - [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression|Wikpedia Regular Expression article]] | - [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression|Wikpedia Regular Expression article]] | ||
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| ==== Software ==== | ==== Software ==== | ||
| - | - [[http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/|TextWrangler (a freeware text editor with PCRE regular expression support)]] | + | * [[http://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/|BBEdit]] -- A Programming Editor with PCRE regular expression support. |
| - | - [[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/patterns-the-regex-app/id429449079?mt=12|Patterns — a regular expression analyzer on the app-store]] | + | * The commercial demo expires in 30 days and reverts to the still //very// powerful BBEdit-Lite (freeware). |
| - | - [[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/regexrx/id498370702?mt=12|RegExRX — a regular expression analyzer on the app-store]] | + | '''' |
| - | - [[https://regex101.com|RegEx101.com]] -- Online RegEx Analyzer | + | |
| + | * [[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/patterns-the-regex-app/id429449079?mt=12|Patterns]] -- A regular expression analyzer available on the app-store. | ||
| + | * [[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/regexrx/id498370702?mt=12|RegExRX]] -- A regular expression analyzer available on the app-store. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [[https://regex101.com|RegEx101.com]] -- An Outstanding and Comprehensive Online RegEx Analyzer. | ||
| + | * [[http://regexr.com/|Regexr]] -- Regex testing and explaining, examples and references. | ||
| ==== Books ==== | ==== Books ==== | ||
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| - [Regular Expressions Quick Start](http://www.regular-expressions.info/quickstart.html) | - [Regular Expressions Quick Start](http://www.regular-expressions.info/quickstart.html) | ||
| - [[http://www.codeproject.com/KB/dotnet/regextutorial.aspx|CodeProject.com RegExTutorial]] | - [[http://www.codeproject.com/KB/dotnet/regextutorial.aspx|CodeProject.com RegExTutorial]] | ||
| - | - [[http://regexr.com/|Regexr - Regex testing and explaining, examples and references]] | ||
| - | |||
| - | ---- | ||
| Keywords: //Regular Expression, RegEx, RegExp, Find, Replace, Match// | Keywords: //Regular Expression, RegEx, RegExp, Find, Replace, Match// | ||
Regular_Expressions.txt · Last modified: 2022/11/10 03:29 by ccstone
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