SQL Like ----> Regular Expression

[Kntx]

Hey Guys,

I'm looking for a way to translate a pattern for the LIKE keyword in SQL to a regular expression.

To help illustrate what I mean... I imagine a method stub would look something like this.

RegularExpression SqlLikeToRegex(string SqlLikePattern) {
// some code that translates a sql like pattern to a regularexpression
}


The reason being a program I'm rewritting a program that made use of the like keyword in a way that allowed users to create masks to match strings. Over the years all of the users grew to love this and know it well, so I really want to (read... have to) make it work the same.

My problem is the new app uses a disconnected data model, so I can't just perform a LIKE against the database as the disconnected data most likely has a different state than the data on the server. I would like to avoid pushing the data back to the server to perform this operation.

Ideas?? Resources?? Maybe someone has already done this?? Help plz!!

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

Which database are you hooking up to? MySQL seems to actually support regular expressions.

 

[Kntx]

SQL Server 2005.

AFAIFK most dbms have regular expression support these days. Not that it helps me one lick!

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~ddebo...2Regex_8cc-source.html

C code courtesy of CASA. Line 287 is where what you're likely looking for starts.

 

[Kntx]

Thanks. I came across that exact same page.

edit: OT, but when translating that code I realized once again how much it chaps that C# doesn't support case fall thru. Had to use a goto!!

edit2: WTG code feature.