Regular Expression

[Stretch]

How would i write a regular expression in C# to match just the inner text of the following html tag <span id="name">Inner Text</span>

So I'd want the first match to be "Inner Text"

 

[Stretch]

know the answer should be along the lines of <span id="name">(.*?)</span> but it dosen't work

 

[Spamalot]

Doh, wrong post

 

[HTMLHugo]

try this

<span id="name">[^<]*

the one youve already quoted should have done it, gotta love reg expressions

 

[kkbigal]

Deleted

 

[Stretch]

try this

<span id="name">[^<]*

the one youve already quoted should have done it, gotta love reg expressions

The example I've given matches the whole string i.e. <span id="name">Inner Text</span> where as I just want the Inner Text part. I thought the brackets normally act as a separate "sub" match pattern??? This is getting very annoying!!

 

[Stretch]

This is the test code I have set up

string text = "<span id=\"name\">Inner Text</span>";

Regex testRegex = new Regex("<span id=\"name\">(.*?)</span>");

MatchCollection matches = testRegex.Matches(text);

this.txtInfo.AppendText("Number of matches = " + matches.Count + Environment.NewLine);

foreach (Match match in matches)
{
       this.txtInfo.AppendText("Matches = " + match.Value + Environment.NewLine);
}

Am I missing something?

 

[Stretch]

I've figured it out. You need to use the RegEx.Match.Groups collection to access the captured groups. Can't belive how long it's taken me to work that out

I guess that's what you get for trying to program after 20 hours without sleep. It's a long one tomorrow too, best get to bed

 

[RockLobster]

I've figured it out. You need to use the RegEx.Match.Groups collection to access the captured groups. Can't belive how long it's taken me to work that out

I guess that's what you get for trying to program after 20 hours without sleep. It's a long one tomorrow too, best get to bed

Nice one, I was just going to post this I got this working in VB.NET (Loads of VB to C# converters out there) for you: -

  Dim inputString As String

        inputString = "<span id=""name"">Isssssnner Text</span>"
        Dim resultString As String

        Dim r As New Regex("<span id=""name"">(?<name>.*?)</span>")
        resultString = r.Match(inputString).Groups("name").ToString

        Response.Write("Result is: " & resultString)