extractx() “g” flag workaround

Just updated versions. I prefixed function names with "gfn" to describe global functions. As the names imply, "NoFlags" does not allow flags and "Flags" requires flags.

function gfnExtractxGNoFlags(src : text,regex : text,grp : text) do
let extractedValue := "";
let idx := 0;
let idxLen := 0;
while testx(src, regex) do
idx := index(src, extractx(src, regex));
idxLen := length(extractx(substr(src, idx), regex));
extractedValue := extractedValue + if grp = "" then
if extractx(substr(src, idx), regex) != null then
extractx(substr(src, idx), regex) + "¶"
end
else
if extractx(substr(src, idx), regex, grp) != null then
extractx(substr(src, idx), regex, grp) + "¶"
end
end;
src := substr(src, idx + idxLen)
end
;
if extractedValue != "" then
extractedValue := substr(extractedValue, 0, length(extractedValue) - 1)
end;
if extractedValue != "" then
split(extractedValue, "¶")
else
null
end
end;

function gfnValidateFlags(flags : text) do
let validFlags := "";
if length(flags) != 0 then
for i in range(0, length(flags)) do
switch item(flags, i) do
case "i":
(validFlags := validFlags + "i")
case "m":
(validFlags := validFlags + "m")
case "s":
(validFlags := validFlags + "s")
case "u":
(validFlags := validFlags + "u")
end
end
end;
validFlags
end;

function gfnExtractxGFlags(src : text,regex : text,flags : text,grp : text) do
let extractedValue := "";
let validFlags := gfnValidateFlags(flags);
let idx := 0;
let idxLen := 0;
while testx(src, regex, validFlags) do
idx := index(src, extractx(src, regex, validFlags, "$0"));
idxLen := length(extractx(substr(src, idx), regex, validFlags, "$0"));
extractedValue := extractedValue + if extractx(substr(src, idx), regex, validFlags, grp) != null then
extractx(substr(src, idx), regex, validFlags, grp) + "¶"
end;
src := substr(src, idx + idxLen)
end
;
if extractedValue != "" then
extractedValue := substr(extractedValue, 0, length(extractedValue) - 1)
end;
if extractedValue != "" then
split(extractedValue, "¶")
else
null
end
end

I was inspired by Jacques TUR work with JavaScript in Ninox and decided to try and make the extractx() function work by modifying the code in the main.js file in the Applications/Ninox Database folder. I know this will appeal only to a very small number of users and maybe only me, but I wanted to share. And, who knows, maybe one of the Ninox developers will actually fix it eventually. The splitx() and replacex() functions have their uses, but I think the extractx() function is very powerful and is underserved by not implementing the "g" or global flag. I found out how to implement the global flag here...

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/RegExp/exec

and here

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11270302/javascript-how-to-get-multiple-matches-in-regex-exec-results

Here is the original function code...

Hr("extractx(string,string,string,string)", gl.tstring, (function(e, t, i, o) {
    if (null == e)
        return "";
    if (null == t)
        return "" + e;
    null == i && (i = ""),
    null == o && (o = "");
    try {
        var a = new RegExp(t, i).exec(e);
        if (a) {
            for (;;) {
                var n = /\$([0-9]*)/.exec(o);
                if (!n)
                    break;
                o = o.substr(0, n.index) + a[parseInt(n[1], 10)] + o.substr(n.index + n[0].length)
            }
            return o
        }
        return
    } catch (e) {
        return "#ERR: " + String(e)
    }
}))

Here is the code I replaced it with...

Hr("extractx(string,string,string,string)", gl.tstring, (function(e, t, i, o) {
    if (null == e)
        return "";
    if (null == t)
        return "" + e;
    null == i && (i = ""),
    null == o && (o = "");
    try {
        let a = new RegExp(t, i).exec(e);
        let regex = new RegExp(t, i);
        let match;
        let og;
        let n;
        let result = [];
        if (a) {
            if (i.includes('g')) {
                while ((match = regex.exec(e)) && match[0] !== '') {
                    og = o;
                    while ((n = /\$([0-9]*)/.exec(og)))
                        og = og.substr(0, n.index) + match[parseInt(n[1], 10)] + og.substr(n.index + n[0].length);
                    result.push(og);
                }
            } else {
                while ((n = /\$([0-9]*)/.exec(o)) !== null)
                    o = o.substr(0, n.index) + a[parseInt(n[1], 10)] + o.substr(n.index + n[0].length);
                result.push(o);
            }
            return result;
        }
        return
    } catch (e) {
        return "#ERR: " + String(e)
    }
}))

This is not helpful for the browser version, but for anyone who is willing to modify their local main.js file it works... until Ninox updates the app and then you have to do it again . Btw, the Ninox main.js file has no white-space so I have a no white-space version for anyone who doesn't want to mess with removing it.

I readily admit I'm not the best communicator and I have a tendency to underexplain rather than overexplain a point. I figure if someone needs clarification they will ask .

This is something that is not in the documentation, but is required to make the 4 parameter version of extractx() work and this includes the user-defined functions. The last parameter, groups, must have a value for the function to return anything.

• If you don't want specific capture groups, use "$0" in the 4th parameter
• if you want capture groups, use "$1" up to "$9" and you can include separating text if you like, e.g., "$1 is a member of $2"

I know I have seen "$0" referred to on the forum, but this is the only thread I can find at the moment... https://forum.ninox.com/t/g9hrm3g#83hrraf. I have also seen it on the German language forum.

Here is the link to the extractx() function documentation... https://docs.ninox.com/en/script/functions/extractx. There are literally 3 separate functions in the main.js file, one for each of functions listed in the documentation.

If anyone has any questions, please ask.