using .*? but limiting amount of characters to match

[dsaba]

I'd like to know how to use the all character consuming .*? and be able to limit how much it can consume, specifically with a range.

 

Here's a example I made up:

i want to match the literal 18 followed by [any amount of characters that is less than 20 characters and not including the literal '12'] followed by the literal 12

 

in this haystack:

18 hi hellosaf how sdfare asdyou ddsfoing tasdfoday bla bla bla asdfsdfbla bla12
18boblkjasd12

 

 

only '18boblkjasd12' should be the wanted match

 

 

I tried this:

~18(.*?){0,20}12~

 

 

However it matched the unwanted one too, hence my question.

Thank you.

[thebadbad]

The problem is, that you're using *, ? and the range {0,20} together. The asterisk matches the preceding element 0 or more times, the question mark 0 or 1 time and the range 0 or 20 times. That's one hell of a conflict going on there If you wanna match any element (excluding new line), use the dot. And then specify the range:

 

~18.{0,20}12~

[dsaba]

i wanted it to be lazy, using .* without the ? does not ensure that the number '12' won't be part of the 20 characters it will consume...

 

There was a reason for my question and example

I know of this method: (??!12).)*  and it will stop before it reaches '12'

but still I'd like to see an example of having it lazy and limiting the number of chars it consumes..

[thebadbad]

Oh, you know more about it than me.. Can't help I'm afraid.

[effigy]

/18.{0,20}?12/

[dsaba]

Awesome!

thanks.