Regular Expressions 101

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An explanation of your regex will be automatically generated as you type.
Detailed match information will be displayed here automatically.
  • All Tokens
  • Common Tokens
  • General Tokens
  • Anchors
  • Meta Sequences
  • Quantifiers
  • Group Constructs
  • Character Classes
  • Flags/Modifiers
  • Substitution
  • A single character of: a, b or c
    [abc]
  • A character except: a, b or c
    [^abc]
  • A character in the range: a-z
    [a-z]
  • A character not in the range: a-z
    [^a-z]
  • A character in the range: a-z or A-Z
    [a-zA-Z]
  • Any single character
    .
  • Alternate - match either a or b
    a|b
  • Any whitespace character
    \s
  • Any non-whitespace character
    \S
  • Any digit
    \d
  • Any non-digit
    \D
  • Any word character
    \w
  • Any non-word character
    \W
  • Match everything enclosed
    (?:...)
  • Capture everything enclosed
    (...)
  • Zero or one of a
    a?
  • Zero or more of a
    a*
  • One or more of a
    a+
  • Exactly 3 of a
    a{3}
  • 3 or more of a
    a{3,}
  • Between 3 and 6 of a
    a{3,6}
  • Start of string
    ^
  • End of string
    $
  • A word boundary
    \b
  • Non-word boundary
    \B

Regular Expression
No Match

r"
"
gm

Test String

Code Generator

Generated Code

# coding=utf8 # the above tag defines encoding for this document and is for Python 2.x compatibility import re regex = r"src=\"(\S+)?\".+\s.+\s.+href=(\S+).+ember-view\">\s+(\S+)?(?:\s(\S+))\s(\S+)\s+.+\s+.+\s.+\s\S+\s.+\s.+clamp__line.+?(?=>)\W(\s+.+(?=<!)|.+(?=<\/span>))" test_str = ("<section id=\"ember381\" class=\"artdeco-card artdeco-card--with-hover ember-view\"><!---->\n" " <div class=\"org-people-profile-card__profile-info\">\n" "<artdeco-entity-lockup stacked=\"center\" size=\"5\" id=\"ember382\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup--stacked-center artdeco-entity-lockup--size-5 artdeco-entity-lockup ember-view\"><artdeco-entity-lockup-image id=\"ember383\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__image artdeco-entity-lockup__image--type-circle ember-view\" type=\"circle\"><a data-control-name=\"people_profile_card_image_link\" href=\"/in/omar-bakali-85464741/\" id=\"ember384\" class=\"ember-view\"> <img class=\"lazy-image loaded\" alt=\"Omar’s profile picture\" src=\"https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D03AQFLLRD0oaAAPw/profile-displayphoto-shrink_100_100/0?e=1565827200&amp;v=beta&amp;t=1FUl_3ALdjwdoHj0Oqq1lt5Es-0SPekm1zt-G_iVH3g\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\">\n" "</a>\n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup-image><artdeco-entity-lockup-content id=\"ember385\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__content ember-view\"><artdeco-entity-lockup-title id=\"ember386\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__title ember-view\"><a data-control-name=\"people_profile_card_name_link\" href=\"/in/omar-bakali-85464741/\" id=\"ember387\" class=\"link-without-visited-state ember-view\"> <div id=\"ember389\" class=\"org-people-profile-card__profile-title t-black lt-line-clamp lt-line-clamp--single-line ember-view\"> Omar Bakali\n\n" "<!----></div>\n\n" "</a> \n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup-title> <artdeco-entity-lockup-badge id=\"ember390\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__badge ember-view\"> <span class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__degree \">·&nbsp;1st</span>\n" "<!----><!----></artdeco-entity-lockup-badge>\n" "<artdeco-entity-lockup-subtitle id=\"ember391\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__subtitle ember-view\"> <div class=\"t-14 t-black--light t-normal\">\n" " <div id=\"ember393\" class=\"ember-view\"> <span class=\"lt-line-clamp__line lt-line-clamp__line--last\">\n" " Founder &amp; CEO @ Ayni Widny<!----></span>\n\n" "<!----><span class=\"lt-line-clamp__ellipsis lt-line-clamp__ellipsis--dummy\">...</span></div>\n\n" " </div>\n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup-subtitle><artdeco-entity-lockup-caption id=\"ember394\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__caption ember-view\"> <div class=\"truncate\">\n" " ’14 Management\n" " </div>\n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup-caption></artdeco-entity-lockup-content>\n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup> <span>\n" " <img class=\"lazy-image round-image EntityPhoto-circle-1 v-align-middle loaded\" alt=\"lionel’s profile picture\" src=\"https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E03AQH3TWM5bEiO1g/profile-displayphoto-shrink_100_100/0?e=1565827200&amp;v=beta&amp;t=r1QXqaWKGQI3PAbSYD2EKibJLV2LyDNrWLJhiuUPGx8\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\">\n" " <span class=\"t-12 t-black t-bold\">\n" " 26 shared connections\n" " </span>\n" " </span>\n" " </div>\n\n" " <footer class=\"artdeco-card__actions\">\n" "<a data-control-name=\"people_profile_card_message_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"/messaging/compose/?connId=ACoAAAjQ0AABtNb896iwtKva5joQFIxDhxGBfAQ\" id=\"ember395\" class=\"artdeco-button artdeco-button--tertiary artdeco-button--fluid artdeco-button--3 ember-view\"> <span class=\"artdeco-button__text\">\n" " Message\n" " </span>\n" "</a> </footer>\n" "</section>\n\n" "<section id=\"ember364\" class=\"artdeco-card artdeco-card--with-hover ember-view\"><!---->\n" " <div class=\"org-people-profile-card__profile-info\">\n" "<artdeco-entity-lockup stacked=\"center\" size=\"5\" id=\"ember365\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup--stacked-center artdeco-entity-lockup--size-5 artdeco-entity-lockup ember-view\"><artdeco-entity-lockup-image id=\"ember366\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__image artdeco-entity-lockup__image--type-circle ember-view\" type=\"circle\"><a data-control-name=\"people_profile_card_image_link\" href=\"/in/clementinenannan/\" id=\"ember367\" class=\"ember-view\"> <img class=\"lazy-image loaded\" alt=\"Clémentine’s profile picture\" src=\"https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C5603AQHR1X88QCWsnw/profile-displayphoto-shrink_100_100/0?e=1565827200&amp;v=beta&amp;t=fwXOyrczSApTvcE6A1gP-QZLIVMJ79A6L0d1dwdQ5CU\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\">\n" "</a>\n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup-image><artdeco-entity-lockup-content id=\"ember368\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__content ember-view\"><artdeco-entity-lockup-title id=\"ember369\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__title ember-view\"><a data-control-name=\"people_profile_card_name_link\" href=\"/in/clementinenannan/\" id=\"ember370\" class=\"link-without-visited-state ember-view\"> <div id=\"ember372\" class=\"org-people-profile-card__profile-title t-black lt-line-clamp lt-line-clamp--single-line ember-view\"> Clémentine lucie Nannan\n\n" "<!----></div>\n\n" "</a> \n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup-title> <artdeco-entity-lockup-badge id=\"ember373\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__badge ember-view\"> <span class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__degree \">·&nbsp;1st</span>\n" "<!----><!----></artdeco-entity-lockup-badge>\n" "<artdeco-entity-lockup-subtitle id=\"ember374\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__subtitle ember-view\"> <div class=\"t-14 t-black--light t-normal\">\n" " <div id=\"ember376\" class=\"ember-view\"> <span class=\"lt-line-clamp__line\">Marketing Management and</span>\n" " <span class=\"lt-line-clamp__line lt-line-clamp__line--last\">\n" " Digital student at ESSEC - F<span class=\"lt-line-clamp__ellipsis\">...\n" "<!----> </span></span>\n\n" "<!----><span class=\"lt-line-clamp__ellipsis lt-line-clamp__ellipsis--dummy\">...</span></div>\n\n" " </div>\n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup-subtitle><artdeco-entity-lockup-caption id=\"ember377\" class=\"artdeco-entity-lockup__caption ember-view\"> <div class=\"truncate\">\n" " ’18 Marketing\n" " </div>\n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup-caption></artdeco-entity-lockup-content>\n" "</artdeco-entity-lockup> <span>\n" " <img class=\"lazy-image round-image EntityPhoto-circle-1 v-align-middle loaded\" alt=\"Vincent’s profile picture\" src=\"https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D03AQFq5VjBd4AgZQ/profile-displayphoto-shrink_100_100/0?e=1565827200&amp;v=beta&amp;t=Tt7tGo5BV12fhDTa0mMvj91f0WsArricQ0WpZXjSbKQ\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\">\n" " <span class=\"t-12 t-black t-bold\">\n" " 24 shared connections\n" " </span>\n" " </span>\n" " </div>\n\n" " <footer class=\"artdeco-card__actions\">\n" "<a data-control-name=\"people_profile_card_message_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"/messaging/compose/?connId=ACoAABMxF04BkeFqBF-OCOXN4MA1lD7R14Fw4zQ\" id=\"ember378\" class=\"artdeco-button artdeco-button--tertiary artdeco-button--fluid artdeco-button--3 ember-view\"> <span class=\"artdeco-button__text\">\n" " Message\n" " </span>\n" "</a> </footer>\n" "</section>") matches = re.finditer(regex, test_str, re.MULTILINE) for matchNum, match in enumerate(matches, start=1): print ("Match {matchNum} was found at {start}-{end}: {match}".format(matchNum = matchNum, start = match.start(), end = match.end(), match = match.group())) for groupNum in range(0, len(match.groups())): groupNum = groupNum + 1 print ("Group {groupNum} found at {start}-{end}: {group}".format(groupNum = groupNum, start = match.start(groupNum), end = match.end(groupNum), group = match.group(groupNum))) # Note: for Python 2.7 compatibility, use ur"" to prefix the regex and u"" to prefix the test string and substitution.

Please keep in mind that these code samples are automatically generated and are not guaranteed to work. If you find any syntax errors, feel free to submit a bug report. For a full regex reference for Python, please visit: https://docs.python.org/3/library/re.html