How do I use regexp to break a string based on the first set of parentheses?

Hello,

I am trying to break a series of strings containing similar patterns into two parts.

Example of the string: "@(a23bcd)e5./(f+g)"

I would like the first part to be what appears inside the first set of parenthesis after the @ sign "a23bcd" and the second part to be everything afterwards "e5./(f+g)".

Currently I am using:

regexp(str,'@\((.*)\)(.*)','tokens','once') 

however it gives me everything from the very first parentheses to the very last. "a23bcd)ef./(f+g"

What expression do I need to get everything within the first instance of parentheses followed by what ever appears afterward (including parentheses)?

Thanks

Answer 1

[JESUS DAVID ARIZA ROYETH]

solution:

str="@(a23bcd)e5./(f+g)";
answer=regexp(str,'@\(([^\)]+)\)([^\n]+)','tokens');
firstpart=answer{1}{1}
secondpart=answer{1}{2}

[Guillaume]

An alternative would be to make the * in the original expression non-greedy:

regexp(str,'@\((.*?)\)(.*?)','tokens','once') 

but Jesus' expression is probably more efficient (with the added 'once' option). For the record the proper equivalent would be:

regexp(str,'@\(([^\)]*)\)(.*)','tokens','once') 

If there's a worry that . would match a newline, then 'dotexceptnewline' can be added to the regexp options. Matlab is the only language I know whose regular expression matches . to newlines by default.