regextract

Prototype: regextract(regex, string, backref)

Return type: class

Description: Returns whether regex matches the string, and fills the array backref with back-references.

If there are any back reference matches from the regular expression, then the array will be populated with the values, in the manner:

    $(identifier[0]) = entire string
    $(identifier[1]) = back reference 1, etc

Arguments:

• regex : Regular expression, in the range .*

A regular expression containing one or more parenthesized back references. The regular expression is anchored, meaning it must match the entire string

• string : Match string, in the range .*
• backref : Identifier for back-references, in the range [a-zA-Z0-9_$(){}\[\].:]+

Example:

    bundle agent example
    {
    classes:

        # Extract regex backreferences and put them in an array

        "ok" expression => regextract(
                                     "xx ([^\s]+) ([^\s]+).* xx",
                                     "xx one two three four xx",
                                     "myarray"
                                     );
    reports:

     ok::

       "ok - \"$(myarray[0])\" = xx + \"$(myarray[1])\" + \"$(myarray[2])\" + .. + xx";
    }

History: This function was introduced in CFEngine version 3.0.4 (2010)