# A method to search and cut in Ruby **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [25 July 2007 23:00 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/a-method-to-search-and-cut-in-ruby/39417 "2007-07-25T23:00:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scomboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Scomboni](https://rubytalk.org/u/Scomboni)\ **Post date:** [25 July 2007 23:00 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/a-method-to-search-and-cut-in-ruby/39417/1 "2007-07-25T23:00:10Z")
Hello all, I'm trying to parse some EXIF data and return certain fields of text. If I wanted to parsed a document looking for text and then locating it take everything after a colon : delimitator what is the best method in ruby vs Shell command? For example if I have a file called filename.txt and I want to search for this ---\> "Compression : JPEG (old-style)" but only return everything to the right of the delimitator? Using command line tool such as grep to locate and then cut to grab everything after " : " works but I'm trying to learn how to do things like this in Ruby and having no luck grabbing everything to the right of the colon. Some of the text I'm grabbing can contain additional colons and I want everything after the first one. Thanks. Sc-- ---
**Author:** ![Gavin\_Kistner3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@Gavin\_Kistner3](https://rubytalk.org/u/Gavin_Kistner3)\ **Post date:** [25 July 2007 23:09 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/a-method-to-search-and-cut-in-ruby/39417/2 "2007-07-25T23:09:59Z")
C:\\>irb irb(main):001:0\> s = "Foo : Bar" =\> "Foo : Bar" irb(main):002:0\> s.split ":" =\> ["Foo ", " Bar"] irb(main):003:0\> s.split(":").last =\> " Bar" ...or did you want the leading whitespace chomped? irb(main):004:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ) =\> ["Foo", "Bar"] irb(main):005:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ).last =\> "Bar" > **···** > > On Jul 25, 4:59 pm, scomb...@gmail.com wrote: > > > For example if I have a file called filename.txt and I want to search > > for this ---\> "Compression : JPEG (old-style)" > > but only return everything to the right of the delimitator? ---
**Author:** ![Scomboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Scomboni](https://rubytalk.org/u/Scomboni)\ **Post date:** [26 July 2007 00:40 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/a-method-to-search-and-cut-in-ruby/39417/3 "2007-07-26T00:40:05Z")
I was looking at this method as well. I was having trouble though as I know the left hand side column so for this example the Compression portion then the colon : the remainder could be anything for instance a description with lots of text and could also contain a additional colon. At the shell prompt I could grep "Compression" | cut -d: -f2- and that would grab everything... So it sounds like I'm looking in the correct area but Im just not pulling it all together. I will keep at it if you have additional info to point to that would be great..and appreciated. Thanks again. Sc- > **···** > > On Jul 25, 7:05 pm, Phrogz \ wrote: > > > On Jul 25, 4:59 pm, scomb...@gmail.com wrote: > > > > \> For example if I have a file called filename.txt and I want to search > > \> for this ---\> "Compression : JPEG (old-style)" > > \> but only return everything to the right of the delimitator? > > > > C:\\>irb > > irb(main):001:0\> s = "Foo : Bar" > > =\> "Foo : Bar" > > irb(main):002:0\> s.split ":" > > =\> ["Foo ", " Bar"] > > irb(main):003:0\> s.split(":").last > > =\> " Bar" > > > > ...or did you want the leading whitespace chomped? > > > > irb(main):004:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ) > > =\> ["Foo", "Bar"] > > irb(main):005:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ).last > > =\> "Bar" ---
**Author:** ![bbiker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@bbiker](https://rubytalk.org/u/bbiker)\ **Post date:** [26 July 2007 01:09 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/a-method-to-search-and-cut-in-ruby/39417/4 "2007-07-26T01:09:59Z")
Some of the text I'm grabbing can contain additional colons and I want everything after the first one. SC I am assuming you want everything after the first colon but not after the second irb(main):001:0\> line = "Compression : JPEG (old\_style) : whatever" =\> "Compression : JPEG (old\_style) : whatever" irb(main):002:0\> if line =~ /^Compression\s\*:?(.\*)$/ irb(main):003:1\> end\_str = $1 irb(main):004:1\> first\_el = end\_str.split(/:/).first                  puts first\_el irb(main):005:1\> end JPEG (old\_style) if you everything after each colon el = end\_str.split(/:/) p el = {"JPEG (old-style)", "whatever"] > **···** > > On Jul 25, 7:05 pm, Phrogz \ wrote: > > > On Jul 25, 4:59 pm, scomb...@gmail.com wrote: > > > > \> For example if I have a file called filename.txt and I want to search > > \> for this ---\> "Compression : JPEG (old-style)" > > \> but only return everything to the right of the delimitator? > > > > C:\\>irb > > irb(main):001:0\> s = "Foo : Bar" > > =\> "Foo : Bar" > > irb(main):002:0\> s.split ":" > > =\> ["Foo ", " Bar"] > > irb(main):003:0\> s.split(":").last > > =\> " Bar" > > > > ...or did you want the leading whitespace chomped? > > > > irb(main):004:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ) > > =\> ["Foo", "Bar"] > > irb(main):005:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ).last > > =\> "Bar" ---
**Author:** ![Phil4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Phil4](https://rubytalk.org/u/Phil4)\ **Post date:** [26 July 2007 07:29 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/a-method-to-search-and-cut-in-ruby/39417/5 "2007-07-26T07:29:59Z")
scomboni@gmail.com schrieb: ... > > ...or did you want the leading whitespace chomped? > > > > irb(main):004:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ) > > =\> ["Foo", "Bar"] > > irb(main):005:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ).last > > =\> "Bar" > > I was looking at this method as well. I was having trouble though as I > know the left hand side column so for this example the Compression > portion then the colon : the remainder could be anything for instance > a description with lots of text and could also contain a additional > colon. At the shell prompt I could grep "Compression" | cut -d: -f2- > and that would grab everything... To get everything after the first colon you can use: s =~ /^.\*?😕 textAfterColon = $'.dup To also get rid of the spaces directly after the first colon use this Regex: s =~ /^.\*?:\s\*/ textAfterColon = $'.dup The trick is to anchor the regex (i.e. using ^) BR Phil > **···** > > > On Jul 25, 7:05 pm, Phrogz \ wrote: > > > > > On Jul 25, 4:59 pm, scomb...@gmail.com wrote: ---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_Gantner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Thomas\_Gantner](https://rubytalk.org/u/Thomas_Gantner)\ **Post date:** [26 July 2007 23:00 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/a-method-to-search-and-cut-in-ruby/39417/6 "2007-07-26T23:00:00Z")
split takes an optional second parameter \, defining how many elements the resuting array shall have at most 'foo : bar : baz'.split(/\s\*:\s\*/, 2) =\> ["foo", "bar : baz"] -Thomas > **···** > > on Thu 26. July 2007 02.37, scomboni@gmail.com wrote: > > > On Jul 25, 7:05 pm, Phrogz \ wrote: > > > > > On Jul 25, 4:59 pm, scomb...@gmail.com wrote: > > > > > > \> For example if I have a file called filename.txt and I want to search > > > \> for this ---\> "Compression : JPEG (old-style)" > > > \> but only return everything to the right of the delimitator? > > > > > > C:\\>irb > > > irb(main):001:0\> s = "Foo : Bar" > > > =\> "Foo : Bar" > > > irb(main):002:0\> s.split ":" > > > =\> ["Foo ", " Bar"] > > > irb(main):003:0\> s.split(":").last > > > =\> " Bar" > > > > > > ...or did you want the leading whitespace chomped? > > > > > > irb(main):004:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ) > > > =\> ["Foo", "Bar"] > > > irb(main):005:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ).last > > > =\> "Bar" > > > > I was looking at this method as well. I was having trouble though as I > > know the left hand side column so for this example the Compression > > portion then the colon : the remainder could be anything for instance > > a description with lots of text and could also contain a additional > > colon. At the shell prompt I could grep "Compression" | cut -d: -f2- > > and that would grab everything... > > So it sounds like I'm looking in the correct area but Im just not > > pulling it all together. I will keep at it if you have additional info > > to point to that would be great..and appreciated. > > Thanks again. > > -- > \ ---
**Author:** ![Scomboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Scomboni](https://rubytalk.org/u/Scomboni)\ **Post date:** [26 July 2007 11:15 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/a-method-to-search-and-cut-in-ruby/39417/7 "2007-07-26T11:15:01Z")
Thanks so much for everyones answers much appreciated. The space after the colon, I thought I was going to have to live with that. Thanks again for the help. Scott > **···** > > On Jul 26, 3:28 am, Phil Meier \ wrote: > > > scomb...@gmail.com schrieb: > > > > \> On Jul 25, 7:05 pm, Phrogz \ wrote: > > \>\> On Jul 25, 4:59 pm, scomb...@gmail.com wrote: > > ... > > \>\> ...or did you want the leading whitespace chomped? > > > > \>\> irb(main):004:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ) > > \>\> =\> ["Foo", "Bar"] > > \>\> irb(main):005:0\> s.split( /\s\*:\s\*/ ).last > > \>\> =\> "Bar" > > > > \> I was looking at this method as well. I was having trouble though as I > > \> know the left hand side column so for this example the Compression > > \> portion then the colon : the remainder could be anything for instance > > \> a description with lots of text and could also contain a additional > > \> colon. At the shell prompt I could grep "Compression" | cut -d: -f2- > > \> and that would grab everything... > > > > To get everything after the first colon you can use: > > s =~ /^.\*?😕 > > textAfterColon = $'.dup > > > > To also get rid of the spaces directly after the first colon use this Regex: > > s =~ /^.\*?:\s\*/ > > textAfterColon = $'.dup > > > > The trick is to anchor the regex (i.e. using ^) > > > > BR Phil