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How do I write a regular expression to trim a complex path name

I have a string with a path name eg. 'c:\microsoft\windows\shared'. I want to pass this string to a reg exp and get the string 'c:\microsoft\windows' back from it. How do I do this?

I got a good answer for this already. However the regexp that I was given doesn't work on the type of path that name that I'm using. The answer I got was :
String sourcestring = @"c:\microsoft\windows\shared";
String matchpattern = @"(.*)\\.*";
String replacementpattern = @"$1";
string bob = Regex.Replace(sourcestring, matchpattern, replacementpattern);
which does in fact return c:\microsoft\windows to bob.
however, the path I'm using is something like the following: c:\.....\siteview\1.0.0.0__9f4da00116c38ec5
I need to trim the final folder of the path using a reg exp.

ddrudik

Please show what result you want and what result you get from the provided code. Thanks.

millerthegorilla

ASKER

I want back 'c:\....\siteview'

the provide code just returns the same string.

ddrudik

Show the C# code you are using with your source string included so that I can test here. In the truncated example I don't see the issue:

Raw Match Pattern:
(.*)\\.*
 
Raw Replace Pattern:
$1
 
C#.NET Code Example:
using System;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
namespace myapp
{
  class Class1
    {
      static void Main(string[] args)
        {
          String sourcestring = "source string to match with pattern";
          String matchpattern = @"(.*)\\.*";
          String replacementpattern = @"$1";
          Console.WriteLine( Regex.Replace(sourcestring,matchpattern,replacementpattern));
        }
    }
}
 
$sourcestring after replacement:
c:\.....\siteview

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millerthegorilla

ASKER

here you go. the variable location contains:
http://spdev/personal/administrator/_wpresources/SiteViewV4/1.0.0.0__9f4da00116c38ec5/

imageName is 'image1' etc

        private string getImageLocation(string imageName)
        {
            String matchpattern = @"(.*)\\.*";
            String replacementpattern = @"$1";
            string directory = @"images/";
            string rval = Regex.Replace(location, matchpattern, replacementpattern) + directory + imageName;
            return rval;

Open in new window

ddrudik

If the source contains a trailing slash such as:
http://spdev/personal/administrator/_wpresources/SiteViewV4/1.0.0.0__9f4da00116c38ec5/

Please show what you want as the result text.

millerthegorilla

ASKER

http://spdev/personal/administrator/_wpresources/SiteViewV4/ from regexp and
http://spdev/personal/administrator/_wpresources/SiteViewV4/images/image1.jpg from the function.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

ghostdog74

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