Pattern Breakdown
Understanding the regex pattern <([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\/\1>:
- ^ - Start of string
- .* - Any character, zero or more times
- ? - Optional (zero or one)
- * - Zero or more
- [...] - Character class
- (...) - Capturing group
Examples
| Input | Result | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
<div>content</div> |
✓ Match | Simple div tag |
<p class="text">Hello</p> |
✓ Match | Tag with attribute |
Code Examples
JavaScript
JavaScript
const pattern = /<([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\\/\1>/;
const text = "<div>content</div>";
// Test if string matches
if (pattern.test(text)) {
console.log("Valid!");
}
// Extract matches
const matches = text.match(pattern);
console.log(matches);
Python
Python
import re
pattern = r'<([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\/\1>'
text = "<div>content</div>"
# Test if string matches
if re.match(pattern, text):
print("Valid!")
# Find all matches
matches = re.findall(pattern, text)
print(matches)
PHP
PHP
<?php
$pattern = '/<([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\\/\1>/';
$text = "<div>content</div>";
// Test if string matches
if (preg_match($pattern, $text)) {
echo "Valid!";
}
// Find all matches
preg_match_all($pattern, $text, $matches);
print_r($matches);
?>
Java
Java
import java.util.regex.*;
String pattern = "<([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\\/\\1>";
String text = "<div>content</div>";
Pattern p = Pattern.compile(pattern);
Matcher m = p.matcher(text);
if (m.matches()) {
System.out.println("Valid!");
}
Use Cases
Common applications: HTML parsing, template engines, sanitization
- Form validation and input sanitization
- Data extraction and parsing
- Search and replace operations
- API request/response validation
- Log file analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the regex pattern for html tag regex?
The regex pattern is: <([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\/\1>. Match HTML tags with their content. Captures tag name and inner content.
How do I use the html tag regex pattern in JavaScript?
In JavaScript: const regex = new RegExp('<([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\\/\\1>'); or const regex = /<([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\\/\1>/;
Does this pattern work in Python?
Yes, use: import re; pattern = re.compile(r'<([a-z][a-z0-9]*)\b[^>]*>(.*?)<\/\1>') in Python. Most regex patterns are cross-language compatible.
What are common use cases for html tag regex?
HTML parsing, template engines, sanitization
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