Problem using Pattern n Matcher (REGEX)

Hi i have a problem where i need to put a validation on the text box that it contains only alphabets and numbers. For this i m using pattern and matcher.
I want this validation to be applied to the java file only and not on jsp page page.
My code looks like this

String securityAnswer="afj$%";
Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("([a-z A-Z 0-9])");
Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(securityAnswer);
boolean result = matcher.find();

How can i make sure that the text contains only a-z n 0-9 only. becoz whenever i enter any normal text with special characters it accepts on clicking the save button.
I want to write a pattern that returns true only if the securityAnswer string contains alphabets and numbers and not anything else.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

The find() method is used to find() a match within the string. If you want to force the match to the whole string then you can use the matches() method instead.

BTW, you will also need to change your regex, as the way it is written, it will only match one letter.

Henry

a code snippet would be really helpful.
i m using

boolean matchFound = pattern.matches("(?i)[a-z 0-9]", "asfSD98");

but it is returning false.

if i use

boolean matchFound = pattern.matches("(?i)[a-z]", "asfSD");

then it returns true

Thanks

If you are going to use regexes, you should at least get up to speed on them. It's well worth it to do so. See java.util.regex.Pattern class for more info.

if i use

boolean matchFound = pattern.matches("(?i)[a-z]", "asfSD");

then it returns true

I highly doubt that. Try it again, as there is no way this can return true.

Henry

Hey got the solution

I did some minor change in the code as follows:

Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("([^a-z A-Z 0-9])");
String original = "%asfSD!@";
Matcher match = pattern.matcher(original);

Thanks for the help!

Gurvinder Singh wrote:Hey got the solution

I did some minor change in the code as follows:

Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("([^a-z A-Z 0-9])");
String original = "%asfSD!@";
Matcher match = pattern.matcher(original);

Thanks for the help!

Hate to break the news to you -- but you really should learn regexes, if you are going to use them. All that change does is to make sure that the first character is a number, letter, or space. You can still have other characters, as long as it is not the first character (BTW, I am assuming that you are still using find()).

Henry

Not letter, number, or space?

Hey Henry

I v tested this in number of ways by taking the input string as
the matcher.find() is returning the following results:

"%)Aas(fSD" returns true // it means the input string contains other than characters n digits
"Aas(fSD" returns true // it means the input string contains other than characters n digits
"AasfSD" returns false // it means the input string contains characters n digits
"asfSD" returns false // it means the input string contains characters n digits

David Newton wrote:Not letter, number, or space?

Yea... sorry. Had a brain fart. Never mind.

Henry