Question

I am trying to convert a Perl script to a C# 3.5 routine.

The perl code I have is:

if($work =~ /\<[0-9][0-9][0-9]\>/){
    $left       = $`;
    $match      = $&;
    $work       = $';
}

In C# I wrote the following code:

string[] sSplit = Regex.Split(work, @"\<[0-9][0-9][0-9]\>");
if sSplit.length is > 2
{
    left = sSplit[0];
    match = sSplit[1];
    work = sSPlit[2];
}

However the above is not giving me the matched pattern in sSplit[1], but the content to the right of the matched string instead.

Answer 1

Regex.Split is not what you need. The equivalent to =~ /.../ is Regex.Match.

However, Regex.Match has no equivalent to Perl’s $` or $', so you need to use a workaround, but I think it’s a fair one:

var m = Regex.Match(work, @"^(.*?)(\<[0-9][0-9][0-9]\>)(.*)$", RegexOptions.Singleline);
if (m.Success)
{
    left = m.Groups[0].Value;
    match = m.Groups[1].Value;  // perhaps with Convert.ToInt32()?
    work = m.Groups[2].Value;
}

Alternatively, you can use the match index and length to get the stuff:

var m = Regex.Match(work, @"^\<[0-9][0-9][0-9]\>");
if (m.Success)
{
    left = work.Substring(0, m.Index);
    match = m.Value;  // perhaps with Convert.ToInt32()?
    work = work.Substring(m.Index + m.Length);
}