Delphi ActiveX

Regular Expression with Multiple Matches and Capture Groups

See more Regular Expressions Examples

Demonstrates a regular expression with multiple matches and capture groups for each match.

Note: Chilkat uses PCRE2. See PCRE2 Regular Expressions
Also see: PCRE2 Performance

Delphi ActiveX

uses
    Winapi.Windows, Winapi.Messages, System.SysUtils, System.Variants, System.Classes, Vcl.Graphics,
    Vcl.Controls, Vcl.Forms, Vcl.Dialogs, Vcl.StdCtrls, Chilkat_TLB;

...

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
success: Integer;
pattern: WideString;
sb: TChilkatStringBuilder;
crlf: Integer;
json: TChilkatJsonObject;
timeoutMs: Integer;
numMatches: Integer;
cap: WideString;
i: Integer;
matchCount: Integer;
j: Integer;
numCaptureGroups: Integer;

begin
success := 0;

pattern := 'Name:\\s+(\\w+)\\s+(\\w+),\\s+Email:\\s+(\\S+)';

sb := TChilkatStringBuilder.Create(Self);
crlf := 1;
sb.AppendLine('Name: John Smith, Email: john.smith@example.com',crlf);
sb.AppendLine('Name: Jack Johnson, Email: jack.johnson@example.com',crlf);
sb.AppendLine('Name: Mary Adams, Email: mary.adams@example.com',crlf);

Memo1.Lines.Add(sb.GetAsString());

// We have the following string:
// Name: John Smith, Email: john.smith@example.com
// Name: Jack Johnson, Email: jack.johnson@example.com
// Name: Mary Adams, Email: mary.adams@example.com

json := TChilkatJsonObject.Create(Self);
json.EmitCompact := 0;

timeoutMs := 2000;
numMatches := sb.RegexMatch(pattern,json.ControlInterface,timeoutMs);
if (numMatches < 0) then
  begin
    // Probably an error in the regular expression.
    // Suggestion: Use AI to help create and/or diagnose regular expressions.
    Memo1.Lines.Add(sb.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

// Examine the matches:
Memo1.Lines.Add(json.Emit());

// This is the JSON with the match information.
// See the JSON parsing code below to get the matched capture group values.

// {
//   "match": [
//     {
//       "group": [
//         {
//           "cap": "Name: John Smith, Email: john.smith@example.com",
//           "idx": 0,
//           "len": 47
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "John",
//           "idx": 6,
//           "len": 4
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Smith",
//           "idx": 11,
//           "len": 5
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "john.smith@example.com",
//           "idx": 25,
//           "len": 22
//         }
//       ]
//     },
//     {
//       "group": [
//         {
//           "cap": "Name: Jack Johnson, Email: jack.johnson@example.com",
//           "idx": 49,
//           "len": 51
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Jack",
//           "idx": 55,
//           "len": 4
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Johnson",
//           "idx": 60,
//           "len": 7
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "jack.johnson@example.com",
//           "idx": 76,
//           "len": 24
//         }
//       ]
//     },
//     {
//       "group": [
//         {
//           "cap": "Name: Mary Adams, Email: mary.adams@example.com",
//           "idx": 102,
//           "len": 47
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Mary",
//           "idx": 108,
//           "len": 4
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "Adams",
//           "idx": 113,
//           "len": 5
//         },
//         {
//           "cap": "mary.adams@example.com",
//           "idx": 127,
//           "len": 22
//         }
//       ]
//     }
//   ]
// }

// Important:  Capture group 0 always contains the entire match — that is, the portion of the input string that matches the full regular expression.

i := 0;
matchCount := json.SizeOfArray('match');
while i < matchCount do
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add('Match ' + IntToStr(i + 1) + ':');
    json.I := i;
    j := 0;
    numCaptureGroups := json.SizeOfArray('match[i].group');
    while j < numCaptureGroups do
      begin
        json.J := j;
        cap := json.StringOf('match[i].group[j].cap');
        Memo1.Lines.Add(IntToStr(j) + ': ' + cap);
        j := j + 1;
      end;

    i := i + 1;
  end;

// Capture group 0 always contains the entire match — that is, the portion of the input string that matches the full regular expression.

// Output

// Match 1:
// 0: Name: John Smith, Email: john.smith@example.com
// 1: John
// 2: Smith
// 3: john.smith@example.com
// Match 2:
// 0: Name: Jack Johnson, Email: jack.johnson@example.com
// 1: Jack
// 2: Johnson
// 3: jack.johnson@example.com
// Match 3:
// 0: Name: Mary Adams, Email: mary.adams@example.com
// 1: Mary
// 2: Adams
// 3: mary.adams@example.co
end;