import Foundation
let pattern = #"<\/?(?!i>)\w+.*?>"#
let regex = try! NSRegularExpression(pattern: pattern)
let testString = #"""
<span> </span><span class="citation_text" id="_148511159">Rawls, Wilson.
<i>Where the Red Fern Grows: The Story of Two Dogs and a Boy</i>. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1961. Print.</span>
"""#
let stringRange = NSRange(location: 0, length: testString.utf16.count)
let substitutionString = #""#
let result = regex.stringByReplacingMatches(in: testString, range: stringRange, withTemplate: substitutionString)
print(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 Swift 5.2, please visit: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/foundation/nsregularexpression