Regular Expression in Python -

Regular Expression in Python

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Regular expressions, often referred to as “regex” or “regexp,” are a powerful tool for text processing and pattern matching in Python. They provide a flexible and efficient way to search, extract, validate, and manipulate text data. In this, we will delve into regular expressions in Python, from the basics to advanced usage, empowering you to harness their full potential.

A regular expression in python is a sequence of characters that defines a search pattern. It can be used to match and manipulate strings based on specific criteria. Regular expressions are not exclusive to Python but are widely supported across various programming languages and text editors. In Python, the re module provides functions and methods for working with regular expressions. Before diving into the intricacies of regular expressions, you need to import this module:

import re

In the below PDF we discuss about Regular Expression in Python in detail in simple language, Hope this will help in better understanding.

Basic Regular Expression Patterns :

Matching Text: The simplest regular expression is a sequence of characters that matches exactly the same characters in a text. For example, the regular expression hello matches the string “hello.”
Character Classes: Character classes allow you to match any one of a set of characters. For instance, [aeiou] matches any vowel, and [0-9] matches any digit.
Metacharacters: Metacharacters have special meanings in regular expressions. Some common metacharacters include . (matches any character except a newline), * (matches zero or more occurrences), + (matches one or more occurrences), ? (matches zero or one occurrence), and | (alternation).

Using Regular Expressions in Python :

The re module provides several functions for working with regular expressions, including search(), match(), findall(), split(), and sub(). These functions enable you to search for patterns, extract matched text, split text based on patterns, and replace text with specified values.

Advanced Regular Expression Techniques :

Grouping and Capturing: Regular expressions can group parts of a pattern using parentheses (). This allows you to capture and extract specific portions of matched text.
Quantifiers: Quantifiers, such as *, +, and ?, can be used with groups to specify the number of occurrences to match.
Anchors: Anchors, like ^ (start of a line) and $ (end of a line), allow you to match patterns at specific positions within the text.
Lookahead and Lookbehind: Lookahead and lookbehind assertions let you match patterns based on what comes before or after the main pattern, without including them in the match itself.