How to delete a complete tag with specific content

Claudia Frank

With the info provided it seems that it is working.

Not sure what I’m missing.

Cheers
Claudia

Scott Sumner

Unfortunately, Claudia’s regex can grab too much sometimes. For example, if run on the following data, it will select the first 3 lines with the first Find Next press (good!), but the second Find Next press will match the 6 lines after that (BAD! as that contains a non-zero “Active” field and a replace with “nothing” operation would delete that!):

<Report>
    <Active>0000000000</Active>
</Report>
<Report>
    <Active>0000000001</Active>
</Report>
<Report>
    <Active>0000000000</Active>
</Report>

Try this instead:

Pre-step: Back up your data!
Find what zone: (?s-i)<Report>.*?<Active>(?:(0000000000)|(\d+))</Active>.*?</Report>\R
Replace with zone: (?1:$0\r\n
Search mode: Regular expression
Wrap around checkbox: Ticked
Action: Press the Replace All button

Christoph Kahle

Still the same.
Now a lager sample

<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000338</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000338</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot.</UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000339</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000339</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000340</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000340</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000341</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000341</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000342</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000342</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000343</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000343</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000344</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000344</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000345</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000345</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Artikel mit hinterlegten Freifeldern </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>Artikelliste</Filter>
	<VMB>artlist12.vmb</VMB>
	<Active>0000000001</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<UserName filter="handwerk hw_plus">Material mit hinterlegten Freifeldern 1-6</UserName><IndexPerm>0000000346</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000346</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Kunden mit hinterlegten Freifeldern </UserName>
	<UserName filter="Lbb Stb">UStIdNr-Anfragen Mandanten</UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>Kundenliste</Filter>
	<VMB>KundFrei1.vmb</VMB>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<Remark/>
	<Argument1/>
	<Argument2/>
	<UseProgram>Ja</UseProgram>
	<Active>0000000001</Active>
	<Group>Kundenliste</Group>
	<CommandID>0x800B</CommandID>
	<PreviewBmp>KunUstID.png</PreviewBmp>
	<IndexPerm>0000000347</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000347</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Lieferanten mit hinterlegten Freifeldern 1-6</UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>Lieferantenliste</Filter>
	<VMB>liefFrei1.vmb</VMB>
	<Remark></Remark>
	<Argument1/>
	<Argument2/>
	<UseProgram>Ja</UseProgram>
	<Active>0000000001</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<Group>Lieferantenliste</Group>
	<CommandID>0x8038</CommandID>
	<PreviewBmp>KunUstID.png</PreviewBmp>
	<IndexPerm>0000000348</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000348</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000349</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000349</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Rechnung </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro.vmb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000001</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000350</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000350</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000351</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000351</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000352</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000352</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000353</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000353</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000354</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000354</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000355</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000355</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Auftragsbestätigunglogo </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro.vmb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000001</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000388</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000388</TempIndex><Group></Group><Remark></Remark><Argument2></Argument2><UseProgram>Ja</UseProgram></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Gutschrift </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro.vmb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000358</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000358</TempIndex><Group></Group><Remark></Remark><Argument2></Argument2><UseProgram>Ja</UseProgram></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Gutschrift </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro.vmb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000001</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000357</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000357</TempIndex><Group></Group><Remark></Remark><Argument2></Argument2><UseProgram>Ja</UseProgram></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Gutschrift old</UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro.vmb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000356</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000356</TempIndex><Group></Group><Remark></Remark><Argument2></Argument2><UseProgram>Ja</UseProgram></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Gutschrift </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro.vmb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000360</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000360</TempIndex><Group></Group><Remark></Remark><Argument2></Argument2><UseProgram>Ja</UseProgram></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>eigene Bestellungen</UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000001</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000359</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000359</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot  </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000361</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000361</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000362</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000362</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000363</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000363</TempIndex></Report>
<Report>
	<UserName>Angebot </UserName>
	<RefReport>Drucker</RefReport>
	<Filter>netto Auftrag brutto layout</Filter>
	<VMB>lay_pro_gue.umb</VMB>
	<Argument1>layout.ini</Argument1>
	<Active>0000000000</Active>
	<ChangeTarget>Nein</ChangeTarget>
	<IndexPerm>0000000364</IndexPerm><TempIndex>0000000364</TempIndex></Report>

Scott Sumner

@Christoph-Kahle

Well, trying my solution on that new data works for me!

Claudia Frank

I see my match get’s expanded until a report tag happens with action 000000.
Scotts version is working for me as well.

Cheers
Claudia

Claudia Frank

@Christoph-Kahle , @Scott-Sumner

find what:

(?s)<Report>(?:(?!</Report>).)*<Active>0000000000</Active>.*?</Report>

replace with empty

This seems to work as well :-D

Cheers
Claudia

Scott Sumner

So some explanation is probably in order.

The Find what will match EVERY <Report> thru </Report> (with line-ending after the closing tag) one-by-one as it moves thru the file. The difference is that when an all-zeroes Active field is encountered, it gets saved into “group #1”.

The Replace with is where the difference comes in: If “group #1” was matched during the Find, the replacement text is “nothing” (thus a delete operation), otherwise it is the entire match (represented by $0) from the find stage.

The ?1 is a “test” at replacement time. It’s general form is ?1a:b and means "if group #1 was matched at find time, replace with “a” at replace time, otherwise replace with “b”. In our specific case above “a” is omitted, which means “insert nothing here”.

guy038

Hello, @christoph-kahle, @claudia-frank, @scott-sumner and All,

Now, most members of N++ community, who use regexes, in search/replacement operations, know the main difference between a lazy and a greedy quantifier ! For instance, given the * quantifier, which is a shortcut of the syntax {0,} :

The (?-s)0.*9 regex matches the greatest range of characters, between digits 0 and 9 of a same line
The (?-s)0.*?9 regex matches the tallest range of characters, between digits 0 and 9 of a same line
The (?s)0.*9 regex matches the greatest range of characters, between digits 0 and 9, even of several lines
The (?s)0.*?9 regex matches the tallest range of characters, between digits 0 and 9, even of several lines

So, assuming the one-line text, below :

1234567890<Report>First Block</Report>123457890<Report>Second Block</Report>1234567890<Report>Third Block</Report>1234567890

You should, easily, see the difference between the regex (?-s)<Report>.*</Report> and the regex (?-s)<Report>.*?</Report>

Just note that the later regex could be rewritten, as well, (?-s)<Report>((?!</Report>).)*</Report> . Indeed, this regex means :

Find a zone, beginning with <Report>, ending with </Report> and which does not contain, at any position, after <Report>, till </Report>, the string </Report> !

Now, why the first form the the Claudia’s regex, below, is not totally correct ?

(?s)<Report>.*?<Active>0000000000</Active>.*?</Report>

I, probably, would have build this one, at first sight, too :-) Indeed, this regex looks for the nearest string <Active>0000000000</Active>, after the start tag <Report>, itself followed by the nearest end tag </Report>. Everything seems OK…

However, we do a mistake because the fact of reaching the nearest <Active>0000000000</Active> and the fact of reaching the nearest </Report> are independent events ! And we may find, first, a <Active>0000000000</Active> block, after crossing many end tags </Reports :-((

So, in order to tell the regex engine to find, first, the nearest string <Active>0000000000</Active>, of the SAME block <Report>.....<Report>, we must use the second Claudia’s regex, below :

(?s)<Report>(?:(?!</Report>).)*<Active>0000000000</Active>.*?</Report>

Notes :

No need to change the first * greedy quantifier, before <Active>, in its lazy form ! Actually, due to the negative look-ahead, you already know that the range, between <Report> and <Active>..., is part of the current <Report>...</Report> zone, which always contains, in Christoph’s file, an unique block <Active>.....</Active> !
On the contrary, the last *? lazy modifier, before </Report>, is, of course, mandatory, to get the end of the current <Report> tag

Cheers,

guy038

Scott Sumner

@guy038 said:

Find a zone, beginning with <Report>, ending with </Report> and which does not contain, at any position, after <Report>, till </Report>, the string </Report> !

Hi Guy! I’m sure you can appreciate the humor in your statement. Of course the string </Report> isn’t going to occur before the string </Report> ! Because if it did, then it would have! ;)

guy038

Hi, @scott-sumner,

Yes, my statement looks a bit weird ! But, English is not my mother language, and probably, a better formulation exists, in fluent English-American :-)

Oh !, Perhaps, I should had write :

Find a zone, beginning with <Report>, ending with </Report> and which does not contain, at any position, after <Report>, till </Report>, AN OTHER string </Report> ?

Actually, I just wanted to point out, that the simple case (?-s)a.*?b, with a lazy quantifier, may, as well, be written, with a greedy quantifier :

(?-s)a((?!b).)*b
a[^b\r\n]*b

Cheers,

guy038

PeterJones

@Scott-Sumner,

You’ve got to admit, even for native speakers, it’s sometimes hard to translate a regular expression into clear English. I would probably phrase the non-greedy version as

Find a zone, beginning with <Report> and ending with the first instance of </Report>

and the greedy version as

Find a zone, beginning with <Report> and ending with the last instance of </Report>

Luiz Antonio Souza Ribeiro

@guy038 said in How to delete a complete tag with specific content:

(?s)<Report>(?:(?!</Report>).)<Active>0000000000</Active>.?</Report>

Thank you. It works for me in a similar case.