CLM pattern question

[Tim Gray]

I have a question about defining keyword pattern matching in codeless language modules using BBLMKeywordPatterns. Can a pattern be defined to match only words at the beginning of a line? I’m not having much success using the standard ^ regular expression.

To give context, I’d like to define two types of run kinds. Both are always at the beginning of a line and end with a colon; one also leads off with a %. Example:

Keyword: do not match anything after the colon
%keywordtwo: don’t match this either

Thanks
Tim

[jj]

Hi Tim,

As far as I understand it, BBLMKeywordPatterns are matched against individual words composed of characters in the <Identifier and Keyword Character Class> or <Identifier and Keyword Characters>.

As a consequence the ^ anchor in a BBLMKeywordPatterns is sort of equivalent to \b and will always match at the start of a word. 

Start of line for an individual word doesn't make much sense.

(Please Rich or Patrick, correct me if I am wrong)

You could kind of achieve what you are looking for by including the '%' and ':' characters in the <Identifier and Keyword Character Class> and matching in the BBLMKeywordPatterns with:

    keyword:
   
and

    %keywordtwo:
   
Watch out though that those sequences might be present in some other unwanted positions in the text, for example at the end of a line before a bullet list.

Another solution could be to use the <Keyword Pattern> which is matched against the text of the document and thus can detect ^ anchors at the start of lines.

    ...
    <key>Language Features</key>
    <dict>
    ...
    <key>Keyword Pattern</key>
        <string><![CDATA[(?x)
(
    ^keyword(?=:)
|
    ^%keywordtwo(?=:)
)
]]></string>
    ...
    <dict/>
    ...
   
HTH

Jean Jourdain

[Tim Gray]

Thanks.  Option two was better for me.  I didn't realize the BBLMKeywordPatterns were for 'words' only.  I struggled a bit with getting commenting to get highlighted.  I ultimately had to define a 'Comment Pattern' as well.  Something about the 'Keyword Pattern' prevented the 'Open Line Comment' from working, at least how I defined them.  The two patterns were:

<key>Keyword Pattern</key>

<string><![CDATA[(?x)

^[^#]\w+(?=:)

]]></string>

<key>Comment Pattern</key

<string><![CDATA[(?x)

^\# .* $

]]></string>

Tim

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