CHeck out this site: http://www.quanetic.com/Regex
you can google 'regular expression tester' and find it. R uses the standard (whatever that is) expressions so check out tutorials you might find via google. On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 8:16 PM, <sebastien.biho...@cognigencorp.com> wrote: > Thanks Jim and Rolf, > > grep("n.*mytype",mystr) will do. > > I thought that * only applies on group of characters defined in a [] > sequence. Would you be aware of any documentation/tutorial that would give > slightly more detail and examples that the ?regexp? > Also, would you be aware of any (online) tool to test "R-style" regular > expression against some text or strings? > > >> >> On 16/09/2009, at 9:58 AM, jim holtman wrote: >> >>> try: >>> >>>> grep("n.*mytype",mystr) >>> [1] 1 >>> >>> >>> with the [.] it is a class with a period. '.*' match zero, or >>> more, characters. >> >> Perhaps the OP wants >> >> grep("n[.].*mytype",mystr) >> >> to insist that ``mystr'' contain the string ``n.'' (literal ``.'') >> somewhere before the string ``mytype''. >> >> cheers, >> >> Rolf Turner >>> >>> On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 5:52 PM, Sebastien Bihorel >>> <sebastien.biho...@cognigencorp.com> wrote: >>>> Dear R-users, >>>> >>>> I am trying to use the grep function to test whether a particular >>>> string is >>>> of the form "n.../mydir/myfile.mytype.myext". Anything between n >>>> and mytype >>>> could vary, and anything after mytype could vary. I tried to >>>> proceed by >>>> steps to build my regular expression... but I do not really >>>> understand why >>>> the last call of the following code do not work. >>>> >>>> Any help would be greatly appreciated. >>>> >>>> mystr <- "n.../mydir/myfile.mytype.myext" >>>> >>>> grep("mytype",mystr) >>>> # returns 1 >>>> >>>> grep("[.]*mytype",mystr) >>>> # returns 1 >>>> >>>> grep("n[.]*mytype",mystr) >>>> # returns integer(0) >>>> >>>> >>>> Sebastien >>>> >>>> ______________________________________________ >>>> R-help@r-project.org mailing list >>>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help >>>> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting- >>>> guide.html >>>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Jim Holtman >>> Cincinnati, OH >>> +1 513 646 9390 >>> >>> What is the problem that you are trying to solve? >>> >>> ______________________________________________ >>> R-help@r-project.org mailing list >>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help >>> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting- >>> guide.html >>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. >> >> >> ###################################################################### >> Attention: >> This e-mail message is privileged and confidential. If you are not the >> intended recipient please delete the message and notify the sender. >> Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author. >> >> This e-mail has been scanned and cleared by MailMarshal >> www.marshalsoftware.com >> ###################################################################### >> > > -- Jim Holtman Cincinnati, OH +1 513 646 9390 What is the problem that you are trying to solve? ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.