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ASP.NET/VB/REGEX: Custom Formatting for all 10 Digit Phone Numbers

Using ASP.NET / VB and Regular Expressions, I want to format all phone numbers like this:
555.555.1212

If the item contains a comma it should NOT be formatted.

All of these should be changed:
(555) 555-1212
(555)555-1212
(555)5551212
555-5551212
555 555 1212
1 555 555 1212
555-555-1212
1-555-555-1212
1 (555) 555 1212
1 (555) 555-1212
1.555.555.1212
1.555.5551212

These should NOT be changed:
(55) 555-1212
(555) 555-12123
12 555 555 1212
1 (555) 555-CALL
555,555,1212
1,555,555,1212

Terry Woods

Something like this should correctly format the ones you do want to change:

regex.Replace(regex.Replace(sourcestring,"[^\d,]",""),"^(?!.*,)1?(\d{3})(\d{3})(\d{4})$","$1.$2.$3")

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You might need to do something like this (pseudocode) to ensure no other values are changed though:

if (string matches pattern "^(?!.*,)\D*1?(\D*\d){10}\D*$") then
  do the replacement

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Terry Woods

Note that this replacement:

regex.Replace(sourcestring,"[^\d,]","")

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simply removes the non-digit characters, so you wouldn't want to run it against the phone numbers that you don't want changed.

hankknight

ASKER

This produces an error:

input = RegularExpressions.Regex.Replace(input,"[^\d,]",""),"^(?!.*,)1?(\d{3})(\d{3})(\d{4})$","$1.$2.$3")

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Compiler Error Message: BC30205: End of statement expected.

Terry Woods

It should be 2 nested replaces:

RegularExpressions.Regex.Replace(
    RegularExpressions.Regex.Replace(sourcestring,"[^\d,]",""),
    "^(?!.*,)1?(\d{3})(\d{3})(\d{4})$",
    "$1.$2.$3"
)

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hankknight

ASKER

Thanks, but now it only works if the string contains only 1 phone number. The other content gets destroyed. I want it to target the phone numbers within a larger string.

Terry Woods

Try this:

    Dim replacementstring as String = "$1$2$3$4.$5$6$7.$8$9$10$11"
    Dim matchpattern as String = "(\s?)(?!<\d[^a-z\d\n]{0,2})1?[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)(?![a-z\d\n]{0,2}\d)"
    result = regex.Replace(sourcestring,matchpattern,replacementstring,RegexOptions.IgnoreCase))

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Terry Woods

It gets uglier trying to put it all into one replace, which is why I tried to separate it before. Still, it is achievable.

hankknight

ASKER

Now I get a different error.

Dim replacementstring as String = "$1$2$3$4.$5$6$7.$8$9$10$11"
Dim matchpattern as String = "(\s?)(?!<\d[^a-z\d\n]{0,2})1?[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)(?![a-z\d\n]{0,2}\d)"
input = regex.Replace(input,matchpattern,replacementstring,RegexOptions.IgnoreCase))

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Compiler Error Message: BC30516: Overload resolution failed because no accessible 'Replace' accepts this number of arguments.

Terry Woods

Is it cause by the extra ) character at the end of the Replace command?

hankknight

ASKER

This also produces an error. Does it work for you?

Dim replacementstring as String = "$1$2$3$4.$5$6$7.$8$9$10$11"
Dim matchpattern as String = "(\s?)(?!<\d[^a-z\d\n]{0,2})1?[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)(?![a-z\d\n]{0,2}\d)"
input = regex.Replace(input,matchpattern,replacementstring,RegexOptions.IgnoreCase)

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BC30516: Overload resolution failed because no accessible 'Replace' accepts this number of arguments.

Terry Woods

I'm a PHP programmer, so I'm working with code generated from myregextester.com, so I haven't tested it I'm afraid. Should it be "RegularExpressions.Regex.Replace" instead of "regex.Replace" maybe?

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Terry Woods

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hankknight

ASKER

Could you please provide PHP code that does this with preg_replace?

Thanks.

hankknight

ASKER

I got it working by modifying your code. Thanks for the help!

input = RegularExpressions.Regex.Replace(input, "(\s?)(?!<\d[^a-z\d\n]{0,2})1?[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)[^a-z\n\d,]*(\d)(?![a-z\d\n]{0,2}\d)", "$1$2$3$4.$5$6$7.$8$9$10$11")

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hankknight

ASKER