Reminds me of this xkcd
2 Likes
Ahem, in case you don’t need it anymore, please send me that Awk book 
Nyet! ;-{)
But you can pick up a used copy for around 14 bucks U.S.:
-Chris
1 Like
Hey Chris,
Are you by chance russian? Or just like the word 
Nyet... 
-Chris
1 Like
Your regex expression ^(.*?\/r\/[^\/i]+) is matching the part you wish to retain.
If you search & replace and replace that part with nothing, then all you have left is the part you don't want.
You could use a Search Variable action instead which lets you pick out the matching parts.
or alternatively you can search and replace and match the entire string and keep only the first component.
1 Like
To All:
Chris is just being modest.
He IS the premier Regular Expression expert. 
Many thanks, Chris, for all the help you have given me and others to help us learn/use RegEx.
Having been there, done that, I can attest to this key learning point.
I have hacked many a RegEx, and learned little.
It was only after I committed to memory the key RegEx syntax, AND started CREATING my own RegEx that I got over that initial hump, and could start becoming productive in the creation/use of RegEx.
To that end, there are several good RegEx cheat sheets out there.
Here is one by Chris (click here).
It is a great guide, but initially, it may still be overwhelming.
So, I suggest that you build you own cheat sheet.
As you learn a new syntax/expression, add it to your sheet.
By definition, it will be a list of the expressions that you use most often, so it will be a short list (at least for a while).
The act of writing the expression down, will help you remember it.
In your list, put a link to other cheat sheets/tutorials, like the one by Chris.
Then when you need to create a new RegEx, goto RegEx101.com and try to create the expression from memory. Allow yourself at least 2 or 3 attempts. Then, if you still can't get it, go to YOUR cheat sheet. If that doesn't give it to you, then go to Chris' cheat sheet.
1 Like