ISO regex guru for help in multi-line pattern match

MrBiggZ · 12-17-2010, 04:19 PM

Hi!

I'm hoping there is a regex guru in the house. I've been getting pretty good at this on a novice level and now it's time to step up the game a little bit.

From this little section of HTML code below I'd like to pull the addresses out. I tried this:

PHP Code:


			
#<div style="margin-bottom:.*?>\s(.*>)<br>\s(.*?)\s<br>\s(\d{3}-\d{3}-\d{4}\s<br>#m

Alas .. my results yield nothing =( I don know that the end of each line in the HTML is a LF not CR/LF. I did try using the s modifier instead of the m. Still no luck! Oh .. I'm using preg_match_all and not just preg_match

I've seen multi-lines done but it was congested with \/.*+ and other thing I couldn't follow it. If you could please help me with this one and break it down for me so I can under stand what is going on. I think once I get this one under my belt and I can follow it I can do others.

Hope you can help! I'll consider if an xmas present! =) Probably the only one I'll be getting this year!

Thanks much in advance!

Code:

			<div id="directions">
				<div class="item">	
						
						<div class="number">1</div> Steak 'N Shake
							<div style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
								3810 W. Washington<br>
								Indianapolis, IN 46241 <br>
								317-241-0483 <br><br>
								
								Hours: <br>
								Dining Room:
								<div>Monday: Anytime</div>
														<div>Tuesday: Anytime</div>
														<div>Wednesday: Anytime</div>
														<div>Thursday: Anytime</div>
														<div>Friday: Anytime</div>
														<div>Saturday: Anytime</div>
														<div>Sunday: Anytime</div>
								<div class="show">Drivethrough: </div>
														<div class="show">Monday: </div>
														<div class="show">Tuesday: </div>
														<div class="show">Wednesday: </div>
														<div class="show">Thursday: </div>
														<div class="show">Friday: </div>
														<div class="show">Saturday: </div>
														<div class="show">Sunday: </div>
								
							</div>

timgolding · 12-17-2010, 04:50 PM

DOM would probably be better for dealing with parsing html documents

Inigoesdr · 12-17-2010, 08:02 PM

Tim is right, using the DOM is a lot more reliable than regular expressions for parsing HTML. That being said, I believe something like this is what you're looking for:

PHP Code:


			
$input = <<<END

<div id="directions">

    <div class="item">    

            

            <div class="number">1</div> Steak 'N Shake

                <div style="margin-bottom: 20px;">

                    3810 W. Washington<br>

                    Indianapolis, IN 46241 <br>

                    317-241-0483 <br><br>

                    

                    Hours: <br>

                    Dining Room:

                    <div>Monday: Anytime</div>

                    <div>Tuesday: Anytime</div>

                    <div>Wednesday: Anytime</div>

                    <div>Thursday: Anytime</div>

                    <div>Friday: Anytime</div>

                    <div>Saturday: Anytime</div>

                    <div>Sunday: Anytime</div>

                    <div class="show">Drivethrough: </div>

                    <div class="show">Monday: </div>

                    <div class="show">Tuesday: </div>

                    <div class="show">Wednesday: </div>

                    <div class="show">Thursday: </div>

                    <div class="show">Friday: </div>

                    <div class="show">Saturday: </div>

                    <div class="show">Sunday: </div>

                    

                </div>    <div class="item">    

            

            <div class="number">2</div> Steak 'N Shake2

                <div style="margin-bottom: 20px;">

                    3810 W. Washington2<br>

                    Indianapolis, IN 462412 <br>

                    317-241-04832 <br><br>

END;



$count = preg_match_all('#<div\s*class="item">\s*<div[^>]*>[^<]*</div>\s*([^\r\n\t]*?)[\r\n\t]*<div[^>]*>\s*([^\r\n\t]*?)<br[^>]*>[\s\r\n\t]*([^\r\n\t]*?)\s*<br[^>]*>\s*([0-9\-]*)#si', $input, $matches);



unset($matches[0]);



var_dump($matches);

That gives output like this:

Code:

array(4) {
  [1]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(14) "Steak 'N Shake"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "Steak 'N Shake2"
  }
  [2]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(18) "3810 W. Washington"
    [1]=>
    string(19) "3810 W. Washington2"
  }
  [3]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(22) "Indianapolis, IN 46241"
    [1]=>
    string(23) "Indianapolis, IN 462412"
  }
  [4]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(12) "317-241-0483"
    [1]=>
    string(13) "317-241-04832"
  }
}

I'm sure there are edge cases that you will have to tweak for, so keep that in mind.

Lamped · 12-18-2010, 12:50 AM

A little tip for you: .* is almost always a bad idea. finding "margin-bottom:.*?>" - "margin-bottom:[^>]*>" leads to less confusion and errors.

I use "The Regex Coach" from http://weitz.de/regex-coach/ for developing and testing complex expressions, I strongly recommend it. The Windows version runs perfectly in Wine too.

MrBiggZ · 12-18-2010, 06:09 AM

Thanks for your replies!

Ok! This:

Code:

#<div\s*class="item">\s*<div[^>]*>[^<]*</div>\s*([^\r\n\t]*?)[\r\n\t]*<div[^>]*>\s*([^\r\n\t]*?)<br[^>]*>[\s\r\n\t]*([^\r\n\t]*?)\s*<br[^>]*>\s*([0-9\-]*)#si'

Looses me! =(

Tell me if I'm right or not! This <div[^>]*>[^<]*</div> after the <div but not a > 0 or more time then a > and again not a < 0 or more times the a </div>

Now does \s* mean more then one space, tab or line break

I'm confused on this one: <br[^>]*>[\s\r\n\t]*([^\r\n\t]*?)

Dumb question is .. how to you train your brain to think this way? I just haven't found the in's and out's of it yet. If I had a good teacher I'd be better off. I'm semi-noobish so go ahead and beat me up!

Inigoesdr · 12-18-2010, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBiggZ

This <div[^>]*>[^<]*</div> after the <div but not a > 0 or more time then a > and again not a < 0 or more times the a </div>

Correct.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBiggZ

Now does \s* mean more then one space, tab or line break

I'm confused on this one: <br[^>]*>[\s\r\n\t]*([^\r\n\t]*?)

Yeah, you don't really need \r\n\t in that one. I left them in there because I added the \s last, and... lazy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBiggZ

Dumb question is .. how to you train your brain to think this way? I just haven't found the in's and out's of it yet. If I had a good teacher I'd be better off. I'm semi-noobish so go ahead and beat me up!

You seem to have a better knowledge of regex than most people that ask questions about it. As far as getting your brain to think like that... I'm not sure. The easiest way I have found to develop/test regular expressions is to use Regex Buddy(commercial). I have used The Regex Coach mention earlier previously, and it's a good free solution, but Regex Buddy is the best piece of software I've used for regex thus far.

Screen:

MrBiggZ · 12-19-2010, 04:31 AM

Yes sir I've seen Regex Buddy but my wallet cried at $40 bucks. I guess if I was doing this for a living .. it would be a good investment. But I mainly do this just to keep my mind sharp and that degree that hangs on the wall behind me that has NEVER been used to some use. =((

Cobol programmer by schooling. When I graduated in '88 PC were about were a POS used car costs now. The interwebz didn't even exist in the civilian world yet.

I guess it's going to have to be repetition learning to get this down. *sigh*

Thanks for all your help!

low tech · 12-19-2010, 04:43 AM

Hi

http://www.gskinner.com/RegExr/

FREE online learning tool:-)

LT

MrBiggZ · 12-20-2010, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by low tech

Hi

http://www.gskinner.com/RegExr/

FREE online learning tool:-)

LT

Thanks bud! Haven't ran across that one yet! Once the torture, I mean holidays are over I'll have to apply myself a bit more on it! Consider it bookmarked!