Visual Basic 6.0

Regular Expression Replace Full Matches

See more Regular Expressions Examples

Demonstrates replacing the full matches of a regular expression.

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

Visual Basic 6.0

Dim success As Long
success = 0

success = 0

Dim subject As String
subject = "John Anders, +_+_+ Mary Robins $$$$"
Dim pattern As String
pattern = "\w+\s+\w+"

Dim sb As New ChilkatStringBuilder
success = sb.Append(subject)

Dim json As New ChilkatJsonObject
json.EmitCompact = 0

Dim timeoutMs As Long
timeoutMs = 2000
Dim numMatches As Long
numMatches = sb.RegexMatch(pattern,json,timeoutMs)
If (numMatches < 0) Then
    ' Probably an error in the regular expression.
    ' Suggestion: Use AI to help create and/or diagnose regular expressions.
    Debug.Print sb.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

' Examine the matches:
Debug.Print json.Emit()

' {
'   "match": [
'     {
'       "group": [
'         {
'           "cap": "John Anders",
'           "idx": 0,
'           "len": 11
'         }
'       ]
'     },
'     {
'       "group": [
'         {
'           "cap": "Mary Robins",
'           "idx": 19,
'           "len": 11
'         }
'       ]
'     }
'   ]
' }

Dim sbTemp As New ChilkatStringBuilder

Dim i As Long
i = 0
numMatches = json.SizeOfArray("match")
Do While i < numMatches

    json.I = i

    ' The full match is always in group 0.
    sbTemp.Clear 
    success = json.StringOfSb("match[i].group[0].cap",sbTemp)

    ' Indicate that we wish to replace the full match with it's value converted to uppercase.
    success = sbTemp.ToUppercase()
    success = json.UpdateSb("match[i].group[0].rep",sbTemp)

    i = i + 1
Loop

' The JSON now has replacement strings:
Debug.Print json.Emit()

' {
'   "match": [
'     {
'       "group": [
'         {
'           "cap": "John Anders",
'           "idx": 0,
'           "len": 11,
'           "rep": "JOHN ANDERS"
'         }
'       ]
'     },
'     {
'       "group": [
'         {
'           "cap": "Mary Robins",
'           "idx": 19,
'           "len": 11,
'           "rep": "MARY ROBINS"
'         }
'       ]
'     }
'   ]
' }

' Call RegexReplace to update the StringBuilder with the replacements.
success = sb.RegexReplace(json)
If (success = 0) Then
    Debug.Print sb.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

Debug.Print "Result after doing replacements:"
Debug.Print sb.GetAsString()

' Result after doing replacements:
' JOHN ANDERS, +_+_+ MARY ROBINS $$$$