Regex to identify standalone numbers

Question

I've got a string that may or may not contain numbers. If there is a number, it will be standalone like '3200 Fedex FL' or '10 Downing St' or as part of a name like '4th ST NW' or 'I96' or 'US28'. I'm looking for a regex that will ignore the standalone numbers and give me the rest of the string but will keep the numbers as part of the name

Tried

Function getAddress(addr As String)  
Dim allMatches As Object  
Dim RE As Object  
Set RE = CreateObject("vbscript.regexp")  
RE.Pattern = "(\b[\d]+\b)"   
RE.Global = True  
RE.IgnoreCase = True 

Set allMatches = RE.Execute(addr)

If (allMatches.Count <> 0) Then
    result = allMatches.Item(0).submatches.Item(0)
End If
getAddress = result
End Function

Example Dataset

0 I64 EB MM 93
1519 KINGSCROSS RD
28 VA288 298
JOHN RANDOLPH RD
4700 WALMSLEY BL
BOWLING GREEN RD / BOB WHITE RD
BRUCE CT /FLORIDA AV
BUCK RD AND WHITEHALL RD
DOWNTOWN EWRESSWY EB 2ND ST
HYHLAND VISTA / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL
HYHLAND VISTA / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL
HYHLAND VISTA DR / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL
I95 25 43
LAUARL RIDGE MILL RD /CLARENCE RD
LAUARL RIDGE MILL RD /CLARENCE RD
NOVAH HOWARD ST /SEMINARY RD
OLD COUVAHOUSE RD R COUVAHOUSE RD
OLD COUVAHOUSE RD R COUVAHOUSE RD
WOODLAND AND ROANOKE
1501 SAMS CR1
15281 WHITEHEAD RD
1532 MARLBORO ST
16907 BRANDERS BRIDGE RD
1750 WILLIAM ST

Expected Output:
I64 EB MM
KINGSCROSS RD VA288 JOHN RANDOLPH RD
BOWLING GREEN RD / BOB WHITE RD
BRUCE CT /FLORIDA AV
BUCK RD AND WHITEHALL RD
DOWNTOWN EWRESSWY EB 2ND ST
HYHLAND VISTA / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL
HYHLAND VISTA / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL
HYHLAND VISTA DR / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL
I95
LAUARL RIDGE MILL RD /CLARENCE RD
LAUARL RIDGE MILL RD /CLARENCE RD
NOVAH HOWARD ST /SEMINARY RD
OLD COUVAHOUSE RD R COUVAHOUSE RD
OLD COUVAHOUSE RD R COUVAHOUSE RD
WOODLAND AND ROANOKE
SAMS CR1
WHITEHEAD RD
MARLBORO ST
BRANDERS BRIDGE RD
WILLIAM ST

Please post a **clear** sample of the **input** and desired **output** — Pedro Lobito, Apr 20 '17 at 20:30
in your "part of a name" example `US 28` the numbers `28` are standalone... or are you looking for standalone numbers at the start of the string? — Jordan Davis, Apr 20 '17 at 20:30
@Vallentin I tried '^[0-9]*$' , but this is just for the first word — Cyclops, Apr 20 '17 at 20:30
Remove the `^` and `$` from your regex so it can match anywhere in the string. Add `\b` to only match stand-alone: `\b\d+\b` and replace with empty string. — trincot, Apr 20 '17 at 20:39
@trincot I arrived at the same conclusion at the exact very moment and updated my post but that is the exact opposite of what I want. — Cyclops, Apr 20 '17 at 20:43
It is not the opposite if you use that regex to determine what to *delete* from the string. — trincot, Apr 20 '17 at 20:56
@trincot It will give me what to delete, that is fine but I have 100,000+ rows and I want to keep the string barring these instances. — Cyclops, Apr 20 '17 at 20:59
But you just need to replace with the empty string... See the substitute panel in [this regex test](https://regex101.com/r/ixUBc5/2). Isn't that the result you need? — trincot, Apr 20 '17 at 21:00
@trincot. That is exactly what I want. How can i get the substitute panel info in a csv file? — Cyclops, Apr 20 '17 at 21:15
That depends on which language you are using... Please read the usage description of the `regex` tag: *"all questions with this tag should also include a tag specifying the applicable programming language or tool"* — trincot, Apr 20 '17 at 21:17
@trincot I am using VB with excel, I have uploaded the code I am using. — Cyclops, Apr 20 '17 at 21:20

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 20 '17 at 20:43

0

Try the following regex:

(?![0-9]+\s).

It looks for consecutive numbers followed by a space and negates them

answered Apr 20 '17 at 20:43

gaganshera

2,629
1
14
21

But it would not work for cases like "I95", "US28" and so on. – Cyclops Apr 20 '17 at 20:56

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 20 '17 at 20:44

0

It seems to be easier match standalone numbers and replace them with empty string. The standalone numbers regex (with surrounding spaces) is

\s*\b\d+\b\s*

Demo: https://regex101.com/r/JuEAQd/1

Note: the output result in the demo above is a little bet mixed up because all test strings put in one input but when taken one by one, the result is fine.

answered Apr 20 '17 at 20:44

Dmitry Egorov

9,542
3
22
40

This selects the numbers, not the string. How would I make the selection the exact opposite? – Cyclops Apr 20 '17 at 20:56

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 20 '17 at 20:59

I believe this is the pattern you want (match letters followed by number + rest of word or match numbers followed by letter followed by rest of word)

/\b([A-z]+[0-9]+[A-z0-9]*|[0-9]+[A-z]+[A-z0-9]*)\b/gm

and in action...

var pattern = /\b([A-z]+[0-9]+[A-z0-9]*|[0-9]+[A-z]+[A-z0-9]*)\b/gm
var str = "0 I64 EB MM 93\
1519 KINGSCROSS RD\
28 VA288 298\
JOHN RANDOLPH RD\
4700 WALMSLEY BL\
BOWLING GREEN RD / BOB WHITE RD\
BRUCE CT /FLORIDA AV\
BUCK RD AND WHITEHALL RD\
DOWNTOWN EWRESSWY EB 2ND ST\
HYHLAND VISTA / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL\
HYHLAND VISTA / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL\
HYHLAND VISTA DR / GEORGE WASHINGTON BL\
I95 25 43\
LAUARL RIDGE MILL RD /CLARENCE RD\
LAUARL RIDGE MILL RD /CLARENCE RD\
NOVAH HOWARD ST /SEMINARY RD\
OLD COUVAHOUSE RD R COUVAHOUSE RD\
OLD COUVAHOUSE RD R COUVAHOUSE RD\
WOODLAND AND ROANOKE\
1501 SAMS CR1\
15281 WHITEHEAD RD\
1532 MARLBORO ST\
16907 BRANDERS BRIDGE RD\
1750 WILLIAM ST"
console.log(str.match(pattern))

This works upto a point but it ignores the rest of the string — Cyclops, Apr 20 '17 at 21:14

Pedro Lobito · Answer 4 · 2017-04-20T21:20:29.177

You didn't specify the programming language you're using, but you need to replace not simply match, something like:

for python:

import re
new_text = re.sub(r" ?\b\d+\b ?", "", old_text)

for php:

$new_text = preg_replace('/ ?\b\d+\b ?/', '', $old_text);

for vb (.NET):

Dim ResultString As String
Try
    Dim RegexObj As New Regex(" ?\b\d+\b ?")
    ResultString = RegexObj.Replace(SubjectString, "")
Catch ex As ArgumentException
    'Syntax error in the regular expression
End Try

Live Demo

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 20 '17 at 21:23

0

Use the Replace method of the RegExp object:

RE.Global = True   
RE.Pattern = "\b\d+(\s|$)"
result = RE.Replace(addr, "") ' Remove all matches from string

answered Apr 20 '17 at 21:23

trincot

317,000
35
244
286

Worked like a Charm. Thank you. – Cyclops Apr 20 '17 at 21:31

Regex to identify standalone numbers

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