I need my regex statement to do the following: takes:
I also use this website to test my code - https://regexr.com.
My regex:
([a-zA-Z&]*[0-9]{0,3}[\s]?)\w{8,}
These should work:
abcD &EFG,
ABCde f123,
&&12ADSD&&.
these should not:
a bcD &EFG,
AB5Cde f123,
&&12ADSD&&34,
1234567,
nope.
Problem is that my regex will accept any number of digits regardless of me putting my limit on it and it will accept spaces in the middle of words but unpredictably and i don't know why.
I'm new to regex so be gentle with me
The start of your current pattern ([a-zA-Z&]*[0-9]{0,3}[\s]?)\w{8,} has quantifiers 0+ times, 0-3 times or optional.
At the end it should match at least 8+ times a word character which will not match any of the examples.
You could use a negative lookahead (?! to assert that there are no 4 digits occurring or 2 times a space and then repeat matching 8+ times what is listed in the character class.
^(?!(?:[^\r\n0-9]*[0-9]){4})(?!(?:\S* ){2})[a-zA-Z0-9 &]{8,}$
^ Start of string(?! Negative lookahead, assert what is on the right is not
(?:[^\r\n0-9]*[0-9]){4} Match 4 times a digit) Close lookahead(?! Negative lookahead, assert what is on the right is not
(?: Non capturing group
\S* Match 0+ times a non whitespace char, then match a space){2} Close non capturing group and repeat 2 times) Negative lookahead, assert not 2 spaces[a-zA-Z0-9 &]{8,} Match 8+ times any of the listed$ End of string