Styjun

I have an XML with different Item's which may contain the attribute Setting named SerialNumber. Im trying to get all the item names followed with the serial number.

My approch is using Notepad++ Regex, to get the name of the Item and the value of the attribute Setting named SerialNumbersomething like this:

Sender0;3990 Sender3;4444 Sender4;7774

But trying it the only thing i can get is that notepad++ selects all the text... My fast approach was something like this:

^<Item Name="(.*)" Category=".*<Setting Name="SerialNumber">(.*)</Setting>.*</Item>

And replace:

(1);(2)

The XML:

 <Item Name="Sender0" Category="" ClassName="Cars" Schedule="" Enabled="true">
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 <Setting Name="SerialNumber">3990</Setting>
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 </Item>
 <Item Name="Sender1" Category="" ClassName="Cars" Schedule="" Enabled="true">
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 </Item>
 <Item Name="Sender2" Category="" ClassName="Cars" Schedule="" Enabled="true">
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 </Item>
 <Item Name="Sender3" Category="" ClassName="Cars" Schedule="" Enabled="true">
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 <Setting Name="SerialNumber">4444</Setting>
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 </Item>
 <Item Name="Sender4" Category="" ClassName="Cars" Schedule="" Enabled="true">
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 <Setting Name="SerialNumber">7774</Setting>
 <Setting>...</Setting>
 </Item>

Hope you can help me, thanks :)

I think regex is viable for this. Unless you are missing some details on the question.

Try with this:

Search: s*<Items*Name="([^"]+)"[^>]+>(?:s*<Setting>.*?</Setting>)*(?:s*<Setting Name="SerialNumber">(.*?)</Setting>)?(?:s*<Setting>.*?</Setting>)*s*</Item>

Replace by: (?21;2 )

In notepadd++, the output of your given input would be: Sender0;3990 Sender3;4444 Sender4;7774

NOTE: Do not use . matches new line option. Also, use match case if you need so.

Explanation:

s* # 0 or more spaces (space, tab, new line...)
<Item # Literal '<item'
 s* 
 Name=" # Literal 'Name="'
 ([^"]+) # Any non (") character repeated one or more times
 # stored on the first capturing group
 " # Literal "
 [^>]+ # Any non (>) character repeated one or more
> # Literal >
# After searching for Item Name, there must exists its serial number.
# The serialNumber may be sorrounded by other settings, so We will search:
# perhapsSomeSettings + serialNumber + perhapsSomeSettings
# so that we will be able to find (if exists) the serial number wether it
# is placed as the first, last or middle tag.
(?: # group
 s*
 <Setting>.*?</Setting>
)* # repeat 0 or more
(?: # This 'setting' group will have the serial number
 s*
 <Setting Name="SerialNumber">
 (.*?) # We capture the data (second capturing group)
 </Setting>
)? # Optional
(?: 
 s*
 <Setting>
 .*?
 </Setting>
)*
s*
</Item>

Please, see also this about greedy/lazy quantifiers.

For the replacement we use (?21;2 )

(?2) is special syntax in notepadd++ (boost) regexes. It means that if the second capturing group exists, then what's inside is applied. So in our case (?21;2 ) if the second capturing group exists our replacement will be first capturing group (name), ; and second capturing group (serialNumber)