Regexp: right patternt for the following ...

[italianculture]

Hi all,

I am looking for the right pattern to grab the following HTML text:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com">Text Text Text</a>"

and to exclude the following:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com"><img src=image.gif></a>"

At the moment, I use this pattern: "<a href=\"(.+?)\">(.+?)</a>" that
grabs both the previous strings.
Can you help me, please?

Many thanks.
Regards,
Stefania

[Ian.H]

On 13 Sep 2004 06:05:24 -0700, "it************@hotmail.com"
<it************@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi all,

I am looking for the right pattern to grab the following HTML text:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com">Text Text Text</a>"

and to exclude the following:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com"><img src=image.gif></a>"

At the moment, I use this pattern: "<a href=\"(.+?)\">(.+?)</a>" that
grabs both the previous strings.
Can you help me, please?

Many thanks.
Regards,
Stefania

Use an HTML parser... parsing HTML code with "simple regex" cannot be
done particularly reliably.. that's why parsers exist ;)

Regards,

Ian

--
Ian.H
digiServ Network
London, UK
http://digiserv.net/

[Justin Koivisto]

it************@hotmail.com wrote:

Hi all,

I am looking for the right pattern to grab the following HTML text:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com">Text Text Text</a>"

and to exclude the following:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com"><img src=image.gif></a>"

At the moment, I use this pattern: "<a href=\"(.+?)\">(.+?)</a>" that
grabs both the previous strings.
Can you help me, please?

I think what you'd want to do here is to use a negative look-ahead...
but if you plan on parsing more HTML than this, consider using some kind
of parser.

<?php
$strs=array(
'<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com">Text Text Text</a>',
'<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com"><img src=image.gif></a>'
);
foreach($strs as $str){

preg_match('`<a\s+href=\"([^"]*)\">(?!<img[^>]*>)(.*)</a>`i',$str,$matches);
print_r($matches);
}
?>

--
Justin Koivisto - sp**@koivi.com
http://www.koivi.com

[Matthias Esken]

it************@hotmail.com wrote:

I am looking for the right pattern to grab the following HTML text:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com">Text Text Text</a>"

and to exclude the following:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com"><img src=image.gif></a>"

At the moment, I use this pattern: "<a href=\"(.+?)\">(.+?)</a>" that
grabs both the previous strings.

Tested:
<a href=\"(.+)\">([^<]*)</a>

Matthias

[Justin Koivisto]

Matthias Esken wrote:

it************@hotmail.com wrote:

I am looking for the right pattern to grab the following HTML text:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com">Text Text Text</a>"

and to exclude the following:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com"><img src=image.gif></a>"

At the moment, I use this pattern: "<a href=\"(.+?)\">(.+?)</a>" that
grabs both the previous strings.

Tested:
<a href=\"(.+)\">([^<]*)</a>

Just an FYI... these wouldn't match the above pattern:

<a href="here.html">Bet you can't <b>find ME!</b></a>

<a href="here.html">Bears < Elephants</a>

--
Justin Koivisto - sp**@koivi.com
http://www.koivi.com

[kingofkolt]

"Justin Koivisto" <sp**@koivi.com> wrote in message
news:1r*****************@news7.onvoy.net...

Matthias Esken wrote:

it************@hotmail.com wrote:

I am looking for the right pattern to grab the following HTML text:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com">Text Text Text</a>"

and to exclude the following:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com"><img src=image.gif></a>"

At the moment, I use this pattern: "<a href=\"(.+?)\">(.+?)</a>" that
grabs both the previous strings.

Tested:
<a href=\"(.+)\">([^<]*)</a>

Just an FYI... these wouldn't match the above pattern:

<a href="here.html">Bet you can't <b>find ME!</b></a>

<a href="here.html">Bears < Elephants</a>

--
Justin Koivisto - sp**@koivi.com
http://www.koivi.com

maybe this then? (untested): <a href=\"(.+)\">(^[^<]*)</a>

[Justin Koivisto]

kingofkolt wrote:

"Justin Koivisto" <sp**@koivi.com> wrote in message
news:1r*****************@news7.onvoy.net...

Matthias Esken wrote:

it************@hotmail.com wrote:

I am looking for the right pattern to grab the following HTML text:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com">Text Text Text</a>"

and to exclude the following:

"<a href="http://www.genericdomain.com"><img src=image.gif></a>"

At the moment, I use this pattern: "<a href=\"(.+?)\">(.+?)</a>" that
grabs both the previous strings.
Tested:
<a href=\"(.+)\">([^<]*)</a>

Just an FYI... these wouldn't match the above pattern:

<a href="here.html">Bet you can't <b>find ME!</b></a>

<a href="here.html">Bears < Elephants</a>

--
Justin Koivisto - sp**@koivi.com
http://www.koivi.com

maybe this then? (untested): <a href=\"(.+)\">(^[^<]*)</a>

Or the one I posted about 6 hours ago... (which was tested)

<a\s+href=\"([^"]*)\">(?!<img[^>]*>)(.*)</a>`i

;)

--
Justin Koivisto - sp**@koivi.com
http://www.koivi.com

[Matthias Esken]

Justin Koivisto wrote:

Matthias Esken wrote:

<a href=\"(.+)\">([^<]*)</a>
Just an FYI... these wouldn't match the above pattern:

<a href="here.html">Bet you can't <b>find ME!</b></a>

This is correct, but the example did not look like that.
<a href="here.html">Bears < Elephants</a>

This is invalid HTML. ;-)

Regards,
Matthias

[John Dunlop]

Matthias Esken wrote:

Justin Koivisto wrote:

<a href="here.html">Bears < Elephants</a>

This is invalid HTML. ;-)

A timely demonstration of why HTML parsers are used.

--
Jock