verbal_expressions

Package Overview

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VerbalExpressions is a Dart package designed to simplify the creation of complex regular expressions through a fluent, readable API. It allows developers to build regex patterns step-by-step using intuitive method chains, reducing the likelihood of errors and improving code maintainability. Ideal for parsing structured text or validating input formats, it abstracts away the complexity of raw regex syntax while preserving full functionality. The package supports all major platforms, making it versatile for cross-platform applications.

Use cases

Text pattern validation
Input sanitization
Data extraction from strings
Parsing structured logs
Building reusable regex builders

Key features

Fluent, chainable API
Readable and maintainable regex construction
Supports all standard regex operations
Cross-platform compatibility
Easy integration with Flutter apps

Suitable for

Developers building form validators
Teams prioritizing code readability
Projects requiring dynamic regex generation
Applications processing user input or log data

Considerations

May add slight overhead compared to raw regex
Not ideal for extremely simple patterns
Requires understanding of basic regex concepts

Original README

Original README snapshot from the linked source repository. Visit the repository for the latest content.

A library for Dart developers that helps to construct difficult regular expressions.

Dart package info is here: https://pub.dartlang.org/packages/verbal_expressions

Quick start

  var regex = VerbalExpression()
   ..startOfLine()
   ..then("http").maybe("s")
   ..then("://")
   ..maybe("www.").anythingBut(" ")
   ..endOfLine();

  // Create an example URL
  String url = "https://www.google.com";

  // Use VerbalExpression's hasMatch() method to test if the entire string matches the regex
  regex.hasMatch(url); //True

  regex.toString();   // Outputs the regex used: ^http(s)?\\:\\/\\/(www\\.)?([^\\ ]*)\$

  var regex = VerbalExpression()..startOfLine()..then("abc")..or("def");

  var testString = "defzzz";
  //Use VerbalExpression's hasMatch() method to test if parts if the string match the regex
  regex.hasMatch(testString);   // true

Feel free to use any predefined char groups:

  var regex = VerbalExpression()
	  ..wordChar()..nonWordChar()
	  ..space()..nonSpace()
	  ..digit()..nonDigit();

Define captures:

  var expression = VerbalExpression()
   ..find("a")
   ..beginCapture()..find("b")..anything()..endCapture()
   ..then("cd");
   
  RegExp regex = expression.toRegExp();

  var match = regex.firstMatch(text);
  print(match.group(0)); // returns "abcd"
  print(match.group(1)); // returns "b"

Examples

More examples are in example file

Features and bugs

Please find feature requests and bugs at the issue tracker.

Other implementations

You can view all implementations on VerbalExpressions.github.io

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