Regex: Data extraction from string

[aravind_sk]

I'm trying to extract text and numeric patterns from a string. The strings are in the format of Account names, numbers, and some numbers.

1. Account Name 1   123456 10.256

2. Account & Na@me                      2789 11\\456

3. Ac_NT N123ame                                                             351462 12/453

The problem I’m facing is that the account name can have numbers within it, alpha/special characters/spaces within it.

When I write a pattern to extract the name, it greedily parses the spaces after the name and the account numbers after it. The only pattern I distinctly see in the data is that there is at least 3 spaces after the account name and before the account number.

So a pattern that catches everything before 3 spaces and then 3 or more digits after the spaces is what I’m looking for.

Would be great if someone can take a shot at this!

[neilgallen]

You could try

(\S+)(?:\s{3})(\d{3,})

Where \S is non-whitespace.

[danilang · Accepted solution]

Hi @aravind_sk 

Try this one

(.*?)\s{3,}(\d{3,})\s+(.*)

(.*?)  extracts all non-greedy

\s{3,} 3 or more spaces

(\d{3,}) 3 or more digits

\s+ 1 or more spaces

(.*) rest of the line

giving this

Dan

[aravind_sk]

Thanks Dan! This one worked. I'll have to learn more of non-greediness :)