Perl Split question - multiple search terms in one variable/pattern?

[toddmanqa]

I'm trying to split text out that is contained between a set of brackets [].

I tried to place both variables inside the $split variable, but it would only recognize one of the brackets. I came up with this option, which works:

$line1 = 'before[within]after';

$split= ('\[');
$split2 = ('\]');

  @values = split(/$split|$split2/,$line1);	

  foreach $val (@values) {
    print "$val\n";
  };

and produces:

before
within
after

but I wanted to know if there is a way to combine the two bracket search terms into one variable.

thanks

 

[rharsh]

It's probably easier not to do it with split:

$_ = 'before[within]after';
my @values = /^([^\[]+)\[([^\]]+)\](.+)/;

 

[KevinADC]

If you really need to use two scalars to store the split patterns:

$line1 = 'before[within]after';

$split= '[';
$split2 = ']';
@values = split(/[\Q$split$split2\E]/,$line1);    
foreach $val (@values) {
   print "$val\n";
};

------------------------------------------
- Kevin, perl coder unexceptional!

 

[rvBasic]

To paraphrase Kevin:

@values = split(/[\[\]]/,$line1);

But beware that this will split 'before]within[after' in exactly the same way as 'before[within]after'(or 'before]within]after', ...)

_________________________________
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is. [attributed to Yogi Berra]

 

[rvBasic]

To make sure there is an opening bracket and it precedes the closing bracket:

$line1 = 'before [within]after';

$i1=index($line1,'[');
$i2=index($line1,']');

@values=($i1==-1 or $i2==-1)?$line1:
	($i1<$i2)?split(/[\[\]]/,$line1):$line1;

foreach $val (@values) {
   print "$val\n";
};

If the condition is not met, the line remains unsplit.

_________________________________
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is. [attributed to Yogi Berra]

 

[tchatzi]

you said

but I wanted to know if there is a way to combine the two bracket search terms into one variable.

do you mean something like the following?

$line = 'before[within]after';
$split= '\[|\]';
@values = split(/$split/,$line1);    
foreach $val (@values) {
  print "$val\n";
};


this will give 

before
within
after

``The wise man doesn't give the right answers,
he poses the right questions.''
TIMTOWTDI