Lua string.match to extract some values of a HTML

Question

I'm using Lua string.match to extract some values of a HTML but I'm having some problems with some attributes.

To extract a phone number like this: 0000-0000, I'm using the mask:

local value = string.match(STRING, "%d%d%d%d-%d%d%d%d")

But Lua is returning something like this: "0000000"

Where is the "-" in the middle of the mask string?

And is there any way to do something like this:

"%d[4]-%d[4]" (specifying how many chars will appear in string)

To help make the context clear can you also add what `STRING` contains when `string.match` is called? — greatwolf, Sep 02 '13 at 05:35

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 02 '13 at 00:33

7

- is a special control character in Lua patterns. Since you want the literal - character, you need to escape it with the % character. So use %-.

answered Sep 02 '13 at 00:33

Nicol Bolas

449,505
63
781
982

@hjpotter92: I've been using Regex's for a while, so I forgot Lua's escape character. – Nicol Bolas Sep 02 '13 at 00:38
Didn´t work with \- but it works with %-. Thank you very much Nicol and hjpotter! – briba Sep 02 '13 at 00:41

Lua string.match to extract some values of a HTML

1 Answers1