Bash Patterns and Regular Expressions

Course details

Pattern matching allows you to create a script that can act on pieces of data if it matches a specific pattern. This makes it possible to script automation into a system process. In this course, learn how to use pattern matching in a Bash script using globs, extended globs, brace expansion, and regular expressions (regex). Throughout this course, Grant McWilliams covers the differences between basic and extended regexes and delves into using extended regexes in bash conditional statements, grep, sed, and AWK.

Learning objectives
What are globs and extended globs?
How locale affects searches
Making extended globs persistent
Comparing extended globs with regular expressions (regexes)
Using brace expansion for patterns
Working with extended regexes
Using sed
Regexes in AWK

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Use Bash to pull data in seconds
02 - What you should know

1. Shell Globs

03 - What are globs
04 - Shell expansion order
05 - Wildcards
06 - Character sets
07 - The effect of locale on searches
08 - Character classes
09 - Shell globbing options

2. Shell Extended Globbing

10 - What are extended globs
11 - Why you should use extended globs
12 - Make extended globs persistent
13 - Getting started with extended globs
14 - Pattern matching with extended globs
15 - Using extended globs with commands
16 - Comparing extended globs with regular expressions

3. Shell Brace Expansion

17 - What is brace expansion
18 - Using brace expansion for patterns

4. Introduction to Regular Expressions

19 - What are regular expressions
20 - Why aren't regexes consistent
21 - Basic vs. Extended Regular Expressions
22 - Regex support in command line tools
23 - Matching characters and words
24 - Specifying occurrences
25 - Alternation and grouping
26 - Back references and subexpressions

5. Use Bash Extended Regexes

27 - Regexes in if conditionals
28 - Using BASH REMATCH
29 - Challenge - Regex to find credit card numbers
30 - Solution - Regex to find credit card numbers

6. Grep EREs and PCREs

31 - Using regular expressions with grep
32 - Perl compatible regexes with grep
33 - Performance optimizing grep searches
34 - Challenge - Create a regex to find telephone numbers
35 - Solution - Create a regex to find telephone numbers

7. Use sed Regexes

36 - Using sed
37 - Using extended regexes in sed
38 - Challenge - Create a regex to find IPv4 addresses
39 - Solution - Create a regex to find IPv4 addresses

8. Use AWK Extended Regexes

40 - Using regexes in AWK
41 - Pattern matching differences in AWK

Conclusion

42 - Next steps