Quick question on Regex

[JimJx]

Hi all,

I reading the files in a dir and extracting a number out of the file names there. ie, I have a folder with filenames such as file1.htm, file2.htm.....file15.htm.....

I am using this to get the numbers off of the end of the filename:

sub ReadFolder {
opendir (FOLDER, $folder) or die "No path available.";
@filenames= readdir(FOLDER);
closedir(FOLDER);

foreach $file (@filenames) {
	if ($file =~ /prints(\d).*/i)
         {
         # catch the number
         $num = $1;
         # if new num is largest yet, 
         # replace maxNum with current num
         # do this for all files and you will have
         # largest number in the files.
         if ($num > $maxNum) { $maxNum = $num; } 
         } 

}

Works great, except for 1 thing, it only reads the first number so the max that it sees is 9 Is there any way to chenge this to read everything from the end of file to the .htm or do I have to go about this another way?

Thanks in advance,
Jim

 

[stillflame]

easy, in the parentheses of the regex, add a '*' immediately after the 'd'. the setup as it was was looking for only a single '\d' character. add the '*' and it will look for and match as many digits as there are consequtively after the text 'prints'. "If you think you're too small to make a difference, try spending a night in a closed tent with a mosquito."

 

[goBoating]

I think it might be more appropriate to use a '+' than a '*'. With the '*', you can match zero digits. The '+' will match one or more.

if ($file =~ /prints(\d+).*/i)

'just my two cents worth.


keep the rudder amid ship and beware the odd typo

 

[tsdragon]

I think you're right about using +.
Tracy Dryden
tracy@bydisn.com

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[stillflame]

oooo. that one always catches me... i thank you both. "If you think you're too small to make a difference, try spending a night in a closed tent with a mosquito."