Regex for grabbing everything but a variable.

[jamesmiller]

Hey guys, basically i need a regex to reterieve part of a string but exclude strings that end with a certain variable. I was wondering how this could be achieved so far i have:

preg_match('!/load/!is',$href) 

 

but it retrieves strings that have /load/files/wjnjsnws/ which i dont want i just want the /load/

 

thank you guys

[xyph]

Give us some sample data, otherwise we're just shooting in the dark.

 

My first attempt as a blind shot: %/load/$%i

 

Keep in mind, the 's' modifier is pointless if you don't use a full stop.

[jamesmiller]

ok the content is

 

<a href="/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481/files/gregr" rel="nofollow" onclick="return listfiles(this,750,50,'2px solid',0,0,'img4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481');">
	<img name="img4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481" src="/images/expand.gif" alt="File Listing" border="0"></a> 
	<a href="/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481" class="BlckUnd"><font color="#CC0000">gg</font> <

 

i want to get one of these which is the /load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481

 

thank you

[xyph]

Something like this?

%(/load/gg/(?:[a-z0-9]++))%i

Or, if you'd like to be more generic,

%(/load/gg/(?:[^/"]++))%i

[jamesmiller]

that works but its still matching false positives i want it to not match anything  that is /load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481/files/etc and match everything with /load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481. Thank you

[xyph]

There is no way that the RegEx i provided would ever match '/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481/files/etc' in it's entirety.

 

It will, however, extract '/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481' out of '/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481/files/etc'.

 

Is this not a good solution? Perhaps you should give me detailed examples where my expression returns false positive.

 

Try this. I can only guarantee it will work with the sample data you've provided.

%(/load/gg/(?:[^/"]++))"%i

[jamesmiller]

thank you, but i want the regex to pick out only '/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481' so i need a regex that excludes the link wuth files/etc on the end ?

[xyph]

O RLY? This is going beyond my patience levels.

 

<?php

$string = <<<HEREDOC
<a href="/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481/files/gregr" rel="nofollow" onclick="return listfiles(this,750,50,'2px solid',0,0,'img4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481');">
	<img name="img4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481" src="/images/expand.gif" alt="File Listing" border="0"></a> 
	<a href="/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481" class="BlckUnd"><font color="#CC0000">gg</font> <;
HEREDOC;

$expr = '%/load/gg/(?:[^/"]++)%i';

preg_match( $expr, $string, $match );

print_r( $match );

?>

 

Output

Array
(
    [0] => /load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481
)

 

Until you start APPLYING the help you're getting, I'm done with this thread.

[jamesmiller]

Ok sorry bud, ive tried applying several times before i posted that, its not working because its still picking out /load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481/files/gregr and still outputting that .

[xyph]

I don't understand how my snippet above is producing the correct results while yours isn't.

 

Have you copied and pasted my code, and tried it on your system?

 

Perhaps you have given us bad data to try and build a RegEx off of. A complete set of data may help with this.

 

Again, though, the expression I provided should NEVER match '/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481/files/gregr'

[jamesmiller]

Ok im not sure why it isnt working either bud, i think the /gg/ can be anything as it changes and so this is the manipulation i have got:

 

   

 $expr = '%/load/(.*?)/(?:[^/"]++)%i';

        if( preg_match($expr,$href))
            $hrefs[] = $href; // store href
    }

 

[xyph]

Next time, please tell me you're changing the expression

 

What other string could 'gg' contain? Try this RegEx.

 

%/load/[^/]++/[a-z0-9]++%i

[jamesmiller]

Thank you, still returning them all, sorry about this .

[jamesmiller]

and gg can contain anything

[xyph]

Are you changing my RegEx around? Because as it is, it's impossible for the RegEx I posted to match

/load/gg/4358813f031ffa01ba1164c238696eb8e24079b24481/files/gregr

in it's entirety

[jamesmiller]

Sorry was away for the weekend, no i havent changed it using exactly that expression and still returning all the values :-( .

[xyph]

Then you're using a different sample set than what you've provided.

[jamesmiller]

im really not , i dont understand why t wont work the code i have is

 		$expr = '%/load/(.*?)/(?:[^/"]++)%i';

        if( preg_match($expr,$href))
            $hrefs[] = $href; // store href
    }

and it wont work