Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!news2.arglkargh.de!news.albasani.net!rt.uk.eu.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.012 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.98; '*S*': 0.00; 'python,': 0.02; 'string.': 0.05; 'matches': 0.07; 'string': 0.09; "'a'": 0.09; 'explanation': 0.09; 'matched': 0.09; 'subject:How': 0.10; "'b'": 0.16; '2),': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'string,': 0.24; 'mon,': 0.24; 'question': 0.24; 'gets': 0.27; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'am,': 0.29; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'me?': 0.32; 'says': 0.33; 'url:python': 0.33; 'could': 0.34; 'problem': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'thanks': 0.36; 'subject:?': 0.36; 'url:org': 0.36; 'being': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'explain': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'read': 0.60; 'new': 0.61; 'finally': 0.65; 'jul': 0.74; 'repeat': 0.74; 'subject:this': 0.83; "'bc'": 0.84; 'clearly.': 0.84 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id:subject:to :content-type; bh=dAlEpY+x29LVMuZ2UaNRzLz58JvMN2XvpSZFCOOcoIs=; b=BzdSrMnZswKRLGDRCu1ogTpML8P7dALYo08rQnT0bWM9KdSS7AtQU0duUToXBIAFnw z0bMtBwKES7UWdf86l5ffSr2rGEPfo8m2exIywJxKSzGkOVdp2Sz8NO+fEgZw+2hAwRn DlusqJ8btLQ6tsi8tV82mZWzHI7/XeQfO6c4A9izUF9e3E9hyxYqrp8qhYxrUQ0KAyEE MCpR/w1i2rts2C9vWh64BB7hWl0Esr8bL7T5IpVNGP9wKv19WXt6TIBv0LGheeO6dSrq 1IyANsM3NlaihrcxA/DZY9j2ivxfQFkEaHSG8XY04ZJQ1KEJk2FmB+nuuRZjgcKqa2pE djKg== X-Received: by 10.66.119.39 with SMTP id kr7mr2730835pab.131.1404749954636; Mon, 07 Jul 2014 09:19:14 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <3840e655-b202-4a8d-b432-77c2d3cd58a4@googlegroups.com> References: <93a40570-00ed-4507-aa16-221d7e500468@googlegroups.com> <3840e655-b202-4a8d-b432-77c2d3cd58a4@googlegroups.com> From: Ian Kelly Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2014 10:18:34 -0600 Subject: Re: How to write this repeat matching? To: Python Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 13 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1404749958 news.xs4all.nl 2907 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:53918 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:74123 On Mon, Jul 7, 2014 at 7:30 AM, wrote: > Because I am new to Python, I may not describe the question clearly. Could you > read the original problem on web: > > https://docs.python.org/2/howto/regex.html > > It says that it gets 'abcb'. Could you explain it to me? Thanks again The string being matched in the explanation at that link is 'abcbd', not 'abcdb'. The 'a' in the pattern matches the 'a' in the string, the '[bcd]*' in the pattern matches the 'bc' in the string (with a repeat count of 2), and finally the 'b' in the pattern matches the 'b' following that in the string.