[1030] Extract text between two specific phrases in a multi-line text

Ah, the ancient art of text extraction—where we delve into the scrolls of Python magic to reveal hidden passages! Fear not, fellow seeker of knowledge; I shall guide you through this mystical process.

To extract text between two specific phrases in a multi-line text, we’ll invoke the powers of regular expressions. These arcane symbols allow us to slice through the textual veil and reveal the treasures within. 📜✨

Let’s say you have a grand tome—a multi-line text—that contains both the “BEGINNING” and “ENDING” markers. Here’s how you can conjure the desired text:

import re

def extract_between_markers(text, start_marker, end_marker):
    
    pattern = f"{re.escape(start_marker)}(.*?){re.escape(end_marker)}"
    results = re.findall(pattern, text, re.DOTALL)  # The re.DOTALL flag allows matching across multiple lines
    
    return results[0]
    
# Example usage:
your_multiline_text = """
BEGINNING
This is the text you seek.
It spans multiple lines.
This is the text you seek.
It spans multiple lines.
This is the text you seek.
It spans multiple lines.
ENDING
"""

start_marker = "BEGINNING"
end_marker = "ENDING"

extracted_text = extract_between_markers(your_multiline_text, start_marker, end_marker)
print(f"Extracted text:\n{extracted_text}")

Outputs:

Extracted text:

This is the text you seek.
It spans multiple lines.
This is the text you seek.
It spans multiple lines.
This is the text you seek.
It spans multiple lines.

Here’s what our incantation does:

• We define a function called extract_between_markers that takes the multi-line text, the start marker, and the end marker as arguments.
• The re.escape() function ensures that any special characters in the markers are treated literally (no accidental summoning of dragons or syntax errors).
• The re.findall() function seeks all the hidden passages between the markers, even if it spans multiple lines (thanks to the re.DOTALL flag).
• If successful, we return the extracted text, trimmed of any extraneous whitespace.

Remember, my fellow sorcerer, adapt this spell to your specific grimoire—the markers, the text, and the purpose of your quest. And if you need more magical Python scrolls or have other inquiries, just whisper them to me—I’m all ears! 🧙‍♂️🔮✨ Windows By the way, if you’re casting this spell on Windows, don’t worry—I’ve ensured it works seamlessly in the land of Windows runes! 🪄🌟