Possible to capture part of one capture group into a second capture group?

Question

Example:

blah blah href='http://www.domain.com/keyid=432' blah blah blah blah

So if i use a regex like

href='(.*)'

that captures the url into group 1 but is it possible to also capture the keyid "432" into a second group? Im sure there is a way to achieve this but i am still a regex noob.

fast guest which i don't remember well '(.*([0-9]*))' – pastjean Nov 26 '10 at 18:12 — pastjean, Nov 26 '10 at 18:12

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 26 '10 at 18:12

3

Yes, you can nest capturing groups:

href='(.*/keyid=([0-9]+))'

answered Nov 26 '10 at 18:12

Mark Byers

811,555
193
1,581
1,452

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:55

Yes, capture groups can contain other capture groups.

But you really have to be far more careful with using regexes on HTML than very nearlhy anybody ever is. Here’s one pair of approaches, and here’s another.

I find that few programmers are ever even as moderately careful as the most naïve of those three solutions is, let alone as cautious as the deep wizardry that the other two are engaged in.

Possible to capture part of one capture group into a second capture group?

2 Answers2