Parse an input text using Java Regex

Question

I have this corresponding input text:

    Clark is set to work in ''[[Superman (the Hero)|Superman]]'', a [[SuperHero Genre       II]] movie directed [[Source:NYTimes]]...
    Clark visited the [[University of Pleasantville]] campus in November 2009 to ...
    *[[1973]] &amp;ndash; [[Clark Kent]], superhero and newspaper reporter...
    After appearing in other movies, Clark starred as [[negative hero]] [[Alternate Superman]] in ''[[Superman (2003 film)|Superman]]''...
    Clark met ''[[Daily Planet]]'' reporter [[Louis Lane]]...</code>

This is the pattern code that I am using in Java:

    <code>String pattern = "(?:\\p{Punct}|\\B|\\b)(\\[\\[[^(Arch:|Zeus:|Source:)].*?\\]\\])(?:\\p{Punct}|\\b|\\B)"; 
    Pattern r = Pattern.compile(pattern); 
    Matcher m = r.matcher(data);
      while (m.find( )) {
        System.out.println("Found value: " + m.group(1) );
      }

I am reading the file line by line using readLine of BufferedReader (sysout-ing every line as I parse it) and getting the following output using my regex:
Clark is set to work in ''[[Superman (the Hero)|Superman]]'', a [[SuperHero Genre II]] movie directed [[Source:NYTimes]]... Clark visited the [[University of Pleasantville]] campus in November 2009 to ... Found value: [[University of Pleasantville]] *[[1973]] – [[Clark Kent]], superhero and newspaper reporter... Found value: [[1973]] After appearing in other movies, Clark starred as [[negative hero]] [[Alternate Superman]] in ''[[Superman (2003 film)|Superman]]''... Found value: [[negative hero]] Found value: [[Alternate Superman]] Clark met ''[[Daily Planet]]'' reporter [[Louis Lane]]... Found value: [[Daily Planet]] Found value: [[Louis Lane]]

As you can see the problem: I am not able to extract all the stuffs within the braces [[I_want_to_extract_these_except_Source_or_Arch_or_Zeus]]. Example: From the first line I should've extracted [[Superman (the Hero)|Superman]] etc. but it didn't retrieve anything. How can I modify my regex to extract everything except the ones which have [[Source:something]] etc.? Thank you.

Is that the problem @nikolap? What is wrong by reading line by line? — Knight
– Knight, Commented Jul 6, 2014 at 14:51
I'm not sure about the all text but may have something like [[Lois Lane and on the next line closing ]] — nikolap
– nikolap, Commented Jul 6, 2014 at 14:56

Lodewijk Bogaards · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-06 15:15:10Z

1

Use a negative lookahead (e.g. (?!...)) like this:

\[\[(?!Arch:|Zeus:|Source).*?\]\]

See it in action: http://regex101.com/r/lJ6sH3/1

answered Jul 6, 2014 at 15:15

Lodewijk Bogaards

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