How do I formulate a variable within a string formula?

[ccollazo]

I need to create a formula that will identify folder names with a three letter/number identifier as highlighted in red in the example below. What do I type in the quotations for the formula to track this specific pattern? I'm currently trying something along, though I know a wild card would simply grab everything. REGEX_Match([Folder Path], "\xxx\")

\\XYZ.com\gac_tower\payroll\General_Airline\A50\2022.09\Journals\2219310\

Thank you in advance. 

[DataNath · Accepted solution]

Hey @ccollazo, do you just want to identify a match here i.e. there is a directory with \XXX\? Or do you want to parse it? Have included both options in this workflow - one with the RegEx tool and one just adapting your Regex_Match formula. Hope this helps!

Parse (In RegEx tool):

\\([A-Z0-9]{3})\\

RegEx_Match (Formula expression):

REGEX_Match([FilePath], ".*\\[A-Z0-9]{3}\\.*")

[ccollazo]

That did the trick, thank you @DataNath ! 

Just so I understand the logic [A-Z0-9] means any number and/or letter? So I could do something like [C-0-9] if I'm looking for CXX?

{3} is just the length of variables I'm allowing correct? So this will only look for 3 variables and something like {5} would look for only 5?

[DataNath]

Great to hear, @ccollazo!

So anything you put in square brackets is a group of characters that you're looking for. In my example, the A-Z0-9 represents any letter (A-Z) or number (0-9). If you only wanted C or numbers then it'd just be [C0-9].

You're right about the 3 - this tells Alteryx to look for 3 of those characters in the group. Like you say, making this {5} would then tell Alteryx to look for a collection of the characters defined in your group/square brackets that is length 5.