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
  • Non-capturing group
    (?:...)
  • Capturing group
    (...)
  • 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

/
/
gm

Test String

Substitution

Processing...

Code Generator

Language

Generated Code

import java.util.regex.Matcher; import java.util.regex.Pattern; public class Example { public static void main(String[] args) { final String regex = "<td>(.*)<\\/td>.*\\n<td>(.*)"; final String string = "Retrieved June 7, 2014\n" + "Revision: http://wiki.scribus.net/wiki/index.php?title=Keyboard_Shortcuts_by_Key&oldid=30255\n\n" + "Function Keys\n\n" + "<table>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> A </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Table Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> B </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Bezier Curve\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> C </td>\n" + "<td> Select (Temporary until the rest are sorted out)\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> E </td>\n" + "<td> Edit Contents (text in a text frame, or image location in an image frame)\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> F </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Freehand Line\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> I </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Image Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> N </td>\n" + "<td> Link Text Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> L </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Line\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> P </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Polygon\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> R </td>\n" + "<td> Rotate\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> S </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Shape\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> T </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Text Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> U </td>\n" + "<td> Unlink Text Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Z </td>\n" + "<td> Zoom\n" + "</td></tr></table>\n\n" + "Normal Keyboard Shortcuts\n\n" + "<table>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> A </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Table Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> B </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Bezier Curve\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> C </td>\n" + "<td> Select (Temporary until the rest are sorted out)\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> E </td>\n" + "<td> Edit Contents (text in a text frame, or image location in an image frame)\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> F </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Freehand Line\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> I </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Image Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> N </td>\n" + "<td> Link Text Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> L </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Line\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> P </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Polygon\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> R </td>\n" + "<td> Rotate\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> S </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Shape\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> T </td>\n" + "<td> Insert Text Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> U </td>\n" + "<td> Unlink Text Frame\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Z </td>\n" + "<td> Zoom\n" + "</td></tr></table>\n\n" + "Control, Shift, Alt keys\n\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Select All </td>\n" + "<td> Control-A\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Deselect All </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-A\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Copy </td>\n" + "<td> Control-C\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Get Text or Image </td>\n" + "<td> Control-D\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Item Duplicate </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Alt-Shift-D\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Search and Replace </td>\n" + "<td> Control-F\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Lock Item </td>\n" + "<td> Control-L\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Lock Item Size </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-L\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Group Items </td>\n" + "<td> Control-G\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Document Information </td>\n" + "<td> Control-I\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Delete Item </td>\n" + "<td> Control-K\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> New File </td>\n" + "<td> Control-N\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Open File </td>\n" + "<td> Control-O\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Print </td>\n" + "<td> Control-P\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Quit </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Q\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Save </td>\n" + "<td> Control-S\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Save As </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-S\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Ungroup Item </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-G\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Paste </td>\n" + "<td> Control-V\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Close File </td>\n" + "<td> Control-W\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Cut </td>\n" + "<td> Control-X\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Edit with Story Editor </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Y\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Undo </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Z\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Redo </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-Z\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Select All </td>\n" + "<td> Control-A\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> DeSelect All </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-A\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Zoom to fit </td>\n" + "<td> Control-0\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Zoom to 100% </td>\n" + "<td> Control-1\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Zoom In </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Plus\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Zoom Out </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Minus\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Zoom In/Out </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Mousewheel\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Smart Hyphen </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-Minus\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Non Breaking Space </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Space\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Insert Page Number </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Alt-Shift-P\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Raise </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Home\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Lower </td>\n" + "<td> Control-End\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Raise to top </td>\n" + "<td> Home\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Lower to bottom </td>\n" + "<td> End\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Frame Break </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Return\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Column Break </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-Return\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Stacked Objects, next in Z-order </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Shift-LMouse\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Resizing object when other object on top </td>\n" + "<td> Control-drag\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Resize proportionally </td>\n" + "<td> Control-drag\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move image in image frame without entering frame edit mode </td>\n" + "<td> Control-Alt-drag\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move frame/group with X/Y constrained </td>\n" + "<td> Control-drag\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Rotate a line or when creating a line, constrain the angle of rotation </td>\n" + "<td> Control-drag and rotate\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Rotate an existing item on the page other than a line and constrain the angle of rotation </td>\n" + "<td> Control-drag and rotate\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Resize to a square </td>\n" + "<td> Shift-drag\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> New Line </td>\n" + "<td> Shift-Return\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Scale text </td>\n" + "<td> Alt-Shift-drag\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Scale text proportionally </td>\n" + "<td> Alt-Control-drag\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move item 1 unit (current: pt,mm,in,c,p,cm)</td>\n" + "<td> Arrow keys\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move item 0.1 units (current: pt,mm,in,c,p,cm)</td>\n" + "<td> Shift+Arrow keys\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move item 10 units (current: pt,mm,in,c,p,cm)</td>\n" + "<td> Control+Arrow keys\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move item 0.01 units (current: pt,mm,in,c,p,cm)</td>\n" + "<td> Control+Shift+Arrow keys\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Resize item 1 unit outwards (current: pt,mm,in,c,p,cm)</td>\n" + "<td> Alt+Arrow keys\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Resize item 1 unit inwards(current: pt,mm,in,c,p,cm)</td>\n" + "<td> Shift+Alt+Arrow keys\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move to start of paragraph in text edit mode on canvas </td>\n" + "<td> Control Up Arrow\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move to end of paragraph in text edit mode on canvas </td>\n" + "<td> Control Down Arrow\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move to start of frame in text edit mode on canvas </td>\n" + "<td> Control Page Up\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Move to end of frame in text edit mode on canvas </td>\n" + "<td> Control Page Down\n" + "</td></tr>\n" + "<tr>\n" + "<td> Resize image while in image frame edit mode on canvas </td>\n" + "<td> Alt+Arrow keys\n" + "</td></tr></table>"; final String subst = ""; final Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(regex, Pattern.MULTILINE); final Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(string); // The substituted value will be contained in the result variable final String result = matcher.replaceAll(subst); System.out.println("Substitution result: " + result); } }

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 Java, please visit: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/regex/Pattern.html