Is RegEx Match searches for a pattern and returns a Boolean (True/False) and thereby enables the user to check whether certain expressions occurs inside a given input text.
You can either search for a known or unknown expression and, in the case of the latter, define the pattern of the expression using our wizard.
Known Pattern
Step 1: Pattern Configuration
- First you have to decide whether you want to provide a static keyword or search for the value of a variable.
- Secondly, you have to provide the necessary input (either the keyword itself or a variable containing the keyword).
- Under Configuration you
can select the following check boxes:
- Stand alone expression search: Your search is restricted to keywords that are located between word and non-word characters (e. g. a space or a colon). This might be helpful if you want to assure that you will only match a substring which consists of word characters and is enclosed by spaces (or any other non-word character). Instances where your pattern is enclosed by other word characters would not result in a match.
- Case sensitive enabled: Differentiation between lower-case and upper-case letters (e. g. matches if pattern is "Test: word" and string is "Test: word". This would not be the case if the string is "test: word").
Step 2: Test pattern on example text
- Type your example test into the text-box (here: "Test").
- Click Test.
- The result shows you whether your pattern has been found in the example text (True) or not (False).
Step 3: Define output
You can either select an already existing variable from the drop-down menu or create a new boolean variable by typing a name into the text field.
Unknown Pattern
Step 1: Pattern configuration
- Select the type of the pattern you want to
search for ("Word", "Text", "Number", "Integer", "EmailAddress" or "TelephoneNumber").
- Word: Matches one or more word characters (e. g. "my" and "life" in "my life" but not "l.i.f.e" in "my l.i.f.e").
- Text: Matches any character (except a new line) zero or more times.
- Number: Matches any positive or negative number with "." or "," as thousand/decimal separator (e. g. "1.787", "-1,000.00", "1").
- Integer: Matches any positive or negative whole number (e. g. "10", "-23" but not "2.2", "1,000").
- EmailAddress: Matches all common email addresses with an @-sign in between and .xx, .xxx, .xxxx at the end (for example mailto:myemail@cmail.com but not "myemailcmail", "myemail@cmail.c").
- TelephoneNumber: Matches one or more digits including the characters "+", "*", "#", "(", ")" and "-" (e. g. "+49 (0)170 8976768" but not "1,700,000.00€").
- You can provide a minimal or/and maximal length of the pattern you are searching for. This length does not include any characters that appear after or before the pattern.
- Specify the position at which you expect your
pattern to appear
- After: You expect that your pattern appears after a given substring and you type this substring into the text-box next to "After" (e. g. if string = "[…] Your Email: max.mustermann@anothermonday.com […]" you would check the box "after" and enter "Your Email: " into the text-box)
- Before: You expect that your pattern appears before a given substring and you type this substring into the text-box next to "Before" (e. g. if string = "[…] 78988776 (customer number) […]" then you would check the box "Before" and enter " (customer number)" in the text-box)
- Under "Configurations" you can select one or
both of the following check boxes:
- Stand alone expression search: Your search is restricted to patterns that are located between word and non-word characters (e. g. a space or a colon). This might be helpful if you want to assure that you will only match a substring which consists of word characters and is enclosed by spaces (or any other non-word character). Instances where your pattern is enclosed by other word characters would not result in a match (e. g. matches if pattern is "(c\w+)" and stand alone expression search is checked: "My cat cannot be replaced by a dog." However, when you leave it unchecked the result will change: "My cat cannot be replaced by a dog.").
- Case sensitive enabled: Differentiation between lower-case and upper-case letters (e. g. matches if pattern is "Test: \s*(\w+)" and string is "Test: word". This would not be the case if the string is "test: word").
- The Pattern text-box shows you the Regex pattern that has been created as a result of your selection. If your pattern needs adjustment, this is the place to customize your pattern even further.
Step 2: Test pattern on example test
- Type your example test into the text-box (here: "Test")
- Click Test.
- The result field shows whether your pattern has been found in the example text ("True") or not ("False").
Step 3: Define output
You can either select an already existing variable from the drop-down menu or create a new Boolean variable by typing a name into the text field.