Matching a single word, in python 3 regex while using re.escape() as well

Asked Mar 20 '18 at 10:19

Active Mar 20 '18 at 10:45

Viewed 38 times

I was trying to find a whole word using regex in Python 3. The best I can come up with is:

import re
search_string = 'CIS 22B : Intermediate Programming Methodologies in C++'

user_input = 'C++'
pattern = r'\b'+re.escape(user_input)

print(re.search(pattern,search_string))

Though, it has a flaw.. search would still be a success if this search string had the word C++xyz instead of C++. Which I don't want, I want it to match the word exactly.

There are answers for this problem on StackOverflow.. but none of them worked for me. Probably because they were for older version of Python.

Also, even for this code the method search() resulted an output.. but match() didn't. I have no idea why.

Please help!

edited Mar 20 '18 at 10:45

Mohamed Thasin ah

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asked Mar 20 '18 at 10:19

Ravi Shekhar

for your last question, match matches at start of the string only. – Jean-François Fabre Mar 20 '18 at 10:21
See [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/180986/what-is-the-difference-between-re-search-and-re-match) for the difference between `match` and `search`. (Or, you know, read the documentation...) – Aran-Fey Mar 20 '18 at 10:21
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You just tried wrong solutions. Use the one [here](https://stackoverflow.com/a/45145800/3832970). – Wiktor Stribiżew Mar 20 '18 at 10:24
what do you mean with 'exactly'? C++ matches C++xyz exactly. You want C++ surrounded by spaces or nothing? – Gsk Mar 20 '18 at 10:24
hint: `pattern = r'\b'+re.escape(user_input)+"(?=\W|$)"` – Jean-François Fabre Mar 20 '18 at 10:26
@Jean-FrançoisFabre that worked! Thanks a lot :) – Ravi Shekhar Mar 21 '18 at 04:34

Matching a single word, in python 3 regex while using re.escape() as well

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