Regular Expressions in ABAP

Question

Hi, all!
Are there any possibilities to make use of regular expressions in 4.6C (FMs, classes)?
Regards,
Maxim.

Answer 1

Hi Maxim and all others whoever may read this ,
try the following code - but be patient and leave my (c) where it is:::
You may also have a look at the specialities of JavaScipt RegEx.
Yours,
Johannes
* an Example Call:
DATA return_value TYPE string.
DATA: match type ztmatch,
lastindex TYPE i,
leftcontext TYPE string,
rightcontext TYPE string,
index TYPE i,
searchstring TYPE string,
modifier TYPE string,
regex TYPE string,
found TYPE boolean,
       error_message type string.
regex = 'b+(a)*(b+)'.
searchstring = 'abbbbabbaa'.
modifier = ''.
CALL METHOD ztr_bw_tools=>regex
  IMPORTING
    LASTINDEX     = lastindex
    LEFTCONTEXT   = leftcontext
    RIGHTCONTEXT  = rightcontext
    INDEX         = index
    FOUND         = found
    MATCH         = match
    RETURN_VALUE  = return_value
    ERROR_MESSAGE = error_message
  CHANGING
    SEARCHSTRING  = searchstring
    MODIFIER      = modifier
    REGEX         = regex
Changing SEARCHSTRING TYPE STRING  DEFAULT '' "string to be regex applicated
Changing MODIFIER TYPE STRING  DEFAULT '' "/gims/
Changing REGEX TYPE STRING  DEFAULT '' "regular expression
Exporting LASTINDEX TYPE I
Exporting LEFTCONTEXT TYPE STRING
Exporting RIGHTCONTEXT TYPE STRING
Exporting INDEX TYPE I
Exporting FOUND TYPE BOOLEAN "boolean variable (X=true, -=false, space=unknown)
Exporting MATCH TYPE ZTMATCH "For use with regular expressions
Exporting RETURN_VALUE TYPE STRING
Exporting ERROR_MESSAGE TYPE STRING
method REGEX .
* (c) by Johannes Rumpf - 2006 -
* Matching-Table of part matches of brackets
*DATA: BEGIN OF ztmatch,
*        comp TYPE string,
*      END OF ztmatch.
DATA source TYPE string.
DATA js_processor TYPE REF TO cl_java_script.
js_processor = cl_java_script=>create( ).
* JavaScript --> ABAP variablen Mapping
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = ' '
                              name_prop = 'regex'
                     CHANGING data      = regex ).
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = ' '
                              name_prop = 'searchstring'
                     CHANGING data      = searchstring ).
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = ' '
                              name_prop = 'modifier'
                     CHANGING data      = modifier ).
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = ' '
                              name_prop = 'index'
                    CHANGING  data      = index ).
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = 'abap'
                              name_prop = 'match'
                    CHANGING  data      = match ).
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = ' '
                              name_prop = 'lastindex'
                    CHANGING  data      = lastindex ).
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = ' '
                              name_prop = 'leftcontext'
                    CHANGING  data      = leftcontext ).
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = ' '
                              name_prop = 'rightcontext'
                    CHANGING  data      = rightcontext ).
js_processor->bind( EXPORTING name_obj  = ' '
                              name_prop = 'found'
                     CHANGING data      = found ).
* eine Leerzeile hinzufügen
DATA: wa like line of match.
wa-comp = ' '.
append wa to match.
* JavaScript Code *REGEX*
CONCATENATE
'var re = new RegExp(regex, modifier);'
'var m = re.exec(searchstring);'
'  if (m == null) {'
'    found = false;'
'  } else {'
'  found = true; '
'    index = m.index;'
'    lastindex = m.lastIndex;'
'    leftcontext = m.leftContext;'
'    rightcontext = m.righContext;   '
'    var len = abap.match.length;'
'    for (i = 0; i < m.length; i++) {'
'      abap.match[len-1].comp = m<i>;'
'      abap.match.appendLine();'
'      len++;'
INTO source SEPARATED BY cl_abap_char_utilities=>cr_lf.
return_value = js_processor->evaluate( source ).
error_message = js_processor->LAST_ERROR_MESSAGE.
endmethod.