regular expression pattern matching in Sharepoint

Linq/regular expression pattern matching  is the best option when we have to get something custom list item as result.

For example : I have a title column in list and title column contains value like

cf-3

cf-3/4-cr

cf-3/4

cf-3/4-sb-30

cf-3 1/2

cf 3

cf 3/4 cr

cf 3/4

cf 3/4 sb 30

cf 3 1/2

   Enter Title :

If user enter cf-3 OR cf 3 and wants a result like in both case i.e. with dash(-) or with space( ).

cf-3,

cf-3/4-cr

cf-3/4

cf-3/4-sb-30

cf-3 1/2

cf 3

cf 3/4 cr

cf 3/4

cf 3/4 sb 30

cf 3 1/2

To achieve this , will use regular expression pattern matching.

First will get contains query for dash search (i.e. cf-3)  and for space search (i.e. cf 3). call SearchDashResult() method for dash search (i.e. cf-3)  and SearchSpaceResult() method for space search (i.e. cf 3).

Case "Title"

                        If (txtTProp4.Text.Trim().IndexOf("-") <> -1) Then

                            wordArrPattern = txtTProp4.Text.Trim().Split("-")

                            SearchDashResult()

                        ElseIf (txtTProp4.Text.Trim().IndexOf(" ") <> -1) Then

                            wordArrPattern = txtTProp4.Text.Trim().Split(" ")

                            SearchSpaceResult()

                        Else

                            strArr.Add("<Contains><FieldRef Name='Title' /><Value Type='Text'>" & txtTProp4.Text.Trim() & "</Value></Contains>")

                        End If

Then , will get contains query for dash search (i.e. cf-3)  and for space search (i.e. cf 3).

Public Sub SearchDashResult()

        If wordArrPattern.Length = 2 Then 'A-B

            beforeSpace = wordArrPattern(0)

            afterSpace = wordArrPattern(1)

            withDash = "-" & afterSpace

            withSpace = " " & afterSpace

            strArr.Add("<Or><And><Contains><FieldRef Name='Title'/><Value Type='Text'>" & beforeSpace & "</Value></Contains><Contains><FieldRef Name='Title'/><Value Type='Text'>" & withDash & "</Value></Contains></And><And><Contains><FieldRef Name='Title'/><Value Type='Text'>" & beforeSpace & "</Value></Contains><Contains><FieldRef Name='Title' /> <Value Type='Text'>" & withSpace & "</Value></Contains></And></Or>")

        End If

End Sub

Public Sub SearchSpaceResult()

        'wordArrPattern = txtTProp2.Text.Trim().Split(" ")

        If wordArrPattern.Length = 2 Then 'A B

            beforeSpace = wordArrPattern(0)

            afterSpace = wordArrPattern(1)

            withDash = "-" & afterSpace

            withSpace = " " & afterSpace

            strArr.Add("<Or><And><Contains><FieldRef Name='Title'/><Value Type='Text'>" & beforeSpace & "</Value></Contains><Contains><FieldRef Name='Title'/><Value Type='Text'>" & withDash & "</Value></Contains></And><And><Contains><FieldRef Name='Title'/><Value Type='Text'>" & beforeSpace & "</Value></Contains><Contains><FieldRef Name='Title' /> <Value Type='Text'>" & withSpace & "</Value></Contains></And></Or>")

        End If

End Sub

Here, we are building caml query.

If strArr.Count <> 0 Then

                entireCAMLQuery = BuildingCAMLUsingStringArr(strArr)

                query.Query = entireCAMLQuery.ToString()

                query.ViewAttributes = "Scope=""Recursive"""

                GetItemThroughtLoop(webSite, strList, query)

                strArr.Clear()

            End If

Private Function BuildingCAMLUsingStringArr(strArr As List(Of String)) As String

        Dim caml As String = String.Empty

        Try

            If strArr.Count = 1 Then

                caml = strArr(0)

            ElseIf strArr.Count > 1 Then

                Dim count As Integer = strArr.Count - 1

                caml = CAMLRecursiveCall(strArr, count)

            End If

        Catch

            Throw

        Finally

        End Try

        Return "<Where>" & caml & "</Where>"

    End Function

    Private Function CAMLRecursiveCall(strArr As List(Of String), count As Integer) As String

        Dim strBuild As New StringBuilder()

        If count > 0 Then

            strBuild.Append("<And>")

            strBuild.Append(CAMLRecursiveCall(strArr, count - 1))

            strBuild.Append(strArr(count))

            strBuild.Append("</And>")

        Else

            strBuild.Append(strArr(count))

        End If

        Return strBuild.ToString()

    End Function

And here , will create linq expression which will give a result which we want

Public Sub GetItemThroughtLoop(webSite As SPWeb, ByVal strList As String, serachQuery As SPQuery)

        Dim site As String = webSite.Url

        Dim List As SPList = webSite.Lists(strList)

        Dim collListItems As SPListItemCollection = List.GetItems(serachQuery)

        Dim txt1val As String = Convert.ToString(txtTProp1.Text.Trim())

        Dim txt2val As String = Convert.ToString(txtTProp2.Text.Trim())

        Dim txt3val As String = Convert.ToString(txtTProp3.Text.Trim())

        Dim txt4val As String = Convert.ToString(txtTProp4.Text.Trim())

        If ((dropListcol1T.Text.Trim() = "Title") OrElse (dropListcol2T.Text.Trim() = "Title") OrElse (dropListcol3T.Text.Trim() = "Title") OrElse (dropListcol4T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) Then

            If (((txt1val.IndexOf("-") <> -1) And (dropListcol1T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) OrElse ((txt2val.IndexOf("-") <> -1) And (dropListcol2T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) OrElse ((txt3val.IndexOf("-") <> -1) And (dropListcol3T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) OrElse ((txt4val.IndexOf("-") <> -1) And (dropListcol4T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) OrElse ((txt1val.IndexOf(" ") <> -1) And (dropListcol1T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) OrElse ((txt2val.IndexOf(" ") <> -1) And (dropListcol2T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) OrElse ((txt3val.IndexOf(" ") <> -1) And (dropListcol3T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) OrElse ((txt4val.IndexOf(" ") <> -1) And (dropListcol4T.Text.Trim() = "Title"))) Then

                getMyPattern = SetResultPatternForTitle()

                strArrPattern = getMyPattern.Split("/")

                sPattern = strArrPattern(0)

                sPattern1 = strArrPattern(1)

            End If

        End If

        If (dropListcol4T.Text.Trim = "Doc Num") Then

            getPatternForDocNum = SetResultPatternForDocNum()

            strArrPattern = getPatternForDocNum.Split("/")  ' will create new var. for that - it's for just testing

            sPattern = strArrPattern(0)  ' will create new var. for that - it's for just testing

            sPattern1 = strArrPattern(1)   ' will create new var. for that - it's for just testing

        End If

        If collListItems.Count <> 0 Then

            Dim dt As DataTable

            dt = collListItems.GetDataTable()

            Dim source = dt.AsEnumerable()

            If ((dropListcol1T.Text.Trim() = "Title") OrElse (dropListcol2T.Text.Trim() = "Title") OrElse (dropListcol3T.Text.Trim() = "Title") OrElse (dropListcol4T.Text.Trim() = "Title")) Then

                If ((txt1val.IndexOf("-") <> -1) OrElse (txt1val.IndexOf(" ") <> -1)) OrElse ((txt2val.IndexOf("-") <> -1) OrElse (txt2val.IndexOf(" ") <> -1)) OrElse ((txt3val.IndexOf("-") <> -1) OrElse (txt3val.IndexOf(" ") <> -1)) OrElse ((txt4val.IndexOf("-") <> -1) OrElse (txt4val.IndexOf(" ") <> -1)) Then

                    Dim FilterResults = From matchingItem In source Where ((Regex.IsMatch(matchingItem.Field(Of String)("Title"), sPattern, RegexOptions.IgnoreCase)) OrElse (Regex.IsMatch(matchingItem.Field(Of String)("Title"), sPattern1, RegexOptions.IgnoreCase))) Select matchingItem

                    getItemThroughtRowCollection(webSite, strList, FilterResults)

                Else

                    getItemThroughtRowCollection(webSite, strList, source)

                End If

            Else

                getItemThroughtRowCollection(webSite, strList, source)

            End If

        End If

    End Sub