returning all matching groups with re.search()

[mhearne808[insert-at-sign-here]gmail[insert-dot-he]

Here's a scenario:

import re
m = re.search('e','fredbarneybettywilma')

Now, here's a stupid question:
why doesn't m.groups() return ('e','e','e').

I'm trying to figure out how to match ALL of the instances of a
pattern in one call - the group() and groups() return subgroups... how
do I get my search to get me all of the matching subgroups?

 

[Chris Rebert]

Here's a scenario:

import re
m = re.search('e','fredbarneybettywilma')

Now, here's a stupid question:
why doesn't m.groups() return ('e','e','e').

Straight from the docs (http://docs.python.org/library/re.html ), emphasis mine:

re.search(pattern, string[, flags])
"Scan through string looking for **a** location where the regular
expression pattern produces **a** match [...]"

Hence, it stops looking after the very first match.

I'm trying to figure out how to match ALL of the instances of a
pattern in one call - the group() and groups() return subgroups... how
do I get my search to get me all of the matching subgroups?

I think you want re.finditer() or re.findall().

Cheers,
Chris

 

[Benjamin Kaplan]

Here's a scenario:

import re
m = re.search('e','fredbarneybettywilma')

Now, here's a stupid question:
why doesn't m.groups() return ('e','e','e').

I'm trying to figure out how to match ALL of the instances of a
pattern in one call - the group() and groups() return subgroups... how
do I get my search to get me all of the matching subgroups?

m.groups() doesn't give return ('e','e','e') because groups don't mean
what you think they mean. Groups are subsections of a regular
expression, enclosed by parenthesis. For example'e',)

What you want seem to want is re.findall, not re.search

 

[Roland Mueller]

Hello,

Help on function findall in module re:

findall(pattern, string, flags=0)
Return a list of all non-overlapping matches in the string.
If one or more groups are present in the pattern, return a
list of groups; this will be a list of tuples if the pattern
has more than one group.
Empty matches are included in the result.
['e', 'e', 'e']

depending on what is intended the non-overlapping behaviour of findall()
may cause some problem:

>>> re.findall('.[aeiou].','fredbarneybettywilma')

['red', 'bar', 'ney', 'bet', 'wil']

>>> re.findall('.[aeiouy].','fredbarneybettywilma')

['red', 'bar', 'ney', 'bet', 'tyw']

BR,
Roland

 

[MRAB]

Hello,

import re
help(re.findall)

Help on function findall in module re:

findall(pattern, string, flags=0)
Return a list of all non-overlapping matches in the string.
If one or more groups are present in the pattern, return a
list of groups; this will be a list of tuples if the pattern
has more than one group.
Empty matches are included in the result.

re.findall('e','fredbarneybettywilma')

['e', 'e', 'e']

depending on what is intended the non-overlapping behaviour of findall()
may cause some problem:

re.findall('.[aeiou].','fredbarneybettywilma')

['red', 'bar', 'ney', 'bet', 'wil']

re.findall('.[aeiouy].','fredbarneybettywilma')

['red', 'bar', 'ney', 'bet', 'tyw']

Overlapping matches are supported by this regex module:

http://pypi.python.org/pypi/regex