Python RegEx extract text between two patterns

Question

I am trying to pull out values for lat and lng for the following:

coordinates = 
[<div class="store-map">\n<div id="map" style="width: 100%; height: 400px;"></div>\n<script>\r\n                function initMap() {\r\n                    var myLatLng = {\r\n                        lat: 42.050994,\r\n                        lng: -88.077711                    };\r\n\r\n

However, when I apply this regex -

found = re.search('lat:(.*),', coordinates,).group(1)

Everything after "lat:" is returned.
However, the desired result is just the number, that stops as soon as it reaches the comma. This is odd to me, because even rubular shows that code should work. Any ideas on what I could be doing wrong here?

P.S. I have spent a bit of time, and looked at all related solutions on stackoverflow, however - no dice.

Hi ShreyasG, example is defined as coordinates = at the beginning of the post. But it looks like Roman has a working solution already! — FlyingZebra1
– FlyingZebra1, Commented Oct 10, 2017 at 8:52

RomanPerekhrest · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-10 08:58:55Z

3

The right way with re.findall function:

import re

coordinates = '[<div class="store-map">\n<div id="map" style="width: 100%; height: 400px;"></div>\n<script>\r\n                function initMap() {\r\n                    var myLatLng = {\r\n                        lat: 42.050994,\r\n                        lng: -88.077711                    };\r\n\r\n '
result = re.findall(r'\b(?:lat|lng): -?\d+\.\d+', coordinates)

print(result)

The output:

['lat: 42.050994', 'lng: -88.077711']

edited Oct 10, 2017 at 8:58

answered Oct 10, 2017 at 8:26

RomanPerekhrest

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2 Comments

Wiktor Stribiżew Over a year ago

Note there is no need in the outer capturing group. If there is no capturing group in a pattern, re.findall return a list with match values only.

RomanPerekhrest Over a year ago

@WiktorStribiżew, sure, that was unintentionally, fixed

Martin Evans · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-10 08:49:01Z

1

Use the following to extract the two values:

import re

text = """[<div class="store-map">\n<div id="map" style="width: 100%; height: 400px;"></div>\n<script>\r\n                function initMap() {\r\n                    var myLatLng = {\r\n                        lat: 42.050994,\r\n                        lng: -88.077711                    };\r\n\r\n     """

lat, lng = map(float, re.findall(r'(?:lat|lng):\s+([0-9.-]*?)[, ]', text))
print lat, lng

Giving you two floats as:

42.050994 -88.077711

answered Oct 10, 2017 at 8:49

Martin Evans

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Comments

Dmitry Egorov · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-10 08:25:11Z

0

This is because .* is greedy meaning it would match everything up to the last comma. Change it to .*?:

lat:(.*?),
       ^
   add this

answered Oct 10, 2017 at 8:25

Dmitry Egorov

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