Question

More about Regular Expression (RegExp)

  • 27 January 2016
  • 6 replies
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Badge +1

Hi All,

I have, many times came across the transformers that use RegExp but I am not sure about how to use it intelligently. I have also read some Q&As; from @takashi and @gio and from tcl site and I was wondering if I could use it more efficiently. I would like to understand more about the codes and expressions. Can someone help me with that?


6 replies

Badge +10

Some good websites to use to get you started are as follows...

General Help:

http://www.regular-expressions.info/quickstart.html

Testers:

http://rubular.com/ - my favourite

http://www.regexr.com/

http://txt2re.com/

Userlevel 4

Hi

Regular expressions have been around for a long time and are used not only in FME, but in many programming languages and applications.

If you look around on the web you'll find a lot of free tutorials and references. I particularly like this reference.

There are also many books on the subject, in particular I'd recommend

David

Userlevel 2
Badge +12

The Help of the FME transformer StringReplacer contains some examples and a link to the Rubular test site.

Badge +3

Check out this very complete explanatory work from

Regular Expressions

The Complete Tutorial

Jan Goyvaerts

It used to be a free download, nowadays a little contribution is required.

his website

http://www.regular-expressions.info/cookbook.html

Rubular is handy, but is flavor limited. Notepad++ you can also test and built them as are Regbuddy etc.etc.

FME has mixed hadnling of regexp (wich i hope will be solved.)

Fme cant even find and replace a comma using a regexp..lol. (use the unicode string to this) Stringserachers & co. are very limited, no switches, forward lookups etc..

Best to use tcl regepx in attribute creators, testers etc. Basicaly everywhere you can use an expression u can use tcl regexp commands.

Userlevel 2
Badge +17

Related information. In FME 2016.0, the Regular Expression Editor has been introduced. You can use this editor to enter a regex to a regex parameter field of some transformers (e.g. StringSearcher) and test your regex with any test string.

Badge +10

Related information. In FME 2016.0, the Regular Expression Editor has been introduced. You can use this editor to enter a regex to a regex parameter field of some transformers (e.g. StringSearcher) and test your regex with any test string.

Excellent find Takashi, thanks.

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