# RegEx Help
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/regex-help/11672
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [March 5, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/regex-help/11672 "2011-03-05T21:56:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@emalvick](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/emalvick)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/regex-help/11672/1 "2011-03-05T21:56:54Z")
This is going to be a simple question, but for some reason I am stuck in getting the result I want.
I am formatting file names, and I am wanting to make use of my %artist% field but not the whole thing...
For instance, If I have a track that is a duet:
%artist% = U2/B.B. King
I want to grab something before the / and put that into the file name.
I tried using something like $regexp(%artist%,(\w\*?)/.+,$1)
This is not working, and for some reason I am not seeing how I should be doing it. I am especially concerned about cases where there may not be 2 artists (i.e. no / character) and also cases where there are going to be spaces, periods, etc.
Maybe I am looking for something too complicated.
If anyone has any suggestions or even a start, I'll appreciate it.
Thank you,
Erik
---
### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/regex-help/11672/2 "2011-03-05T23:08:29Z")
> [@Erik Malvick](#):
>
> %artist% = U2/B.B. King
>
> I want to grab something before the / and put that into the file name.
>
> I tried using something like $regexp(%artist%,(\w\*?)/.+,$1)
>
> This is not working, and for some reason I am not seeing how I should be doing it. I am especially concerned about cases where there may not be 2 artists (i.e. no / character) and also cases where there are going to be spaces, periods, etc.
**$regexp(%artist%,(.\*?) \*/.+,$1)**
**.+** was the reason why your string did not work. use only **.+**
use **(._?)_** _instead of **(\w**_**?)** because **\w** doesn't work when the the artist name has spaces, periods, etc
insert " **\***" before " **/**" so you don't have a space at the end if " **/**" is written like " **/**"
if there is only one artist without **/** character, the regular expression is not found and **%artist%** is written without replacement, i.e. left unchanged.
---
### Author:  [@emalvick](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/emalvick)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/regex-help/11672/3 "2011-03-05T23:55:45Z")
> [@pone](#):
>
> **$regexp(%artist%,(.\*?) \*/.+,$1)**
>
> **.+** was the reason why your string did not work. use only **.+**
> use **(._?)_** _instead of **(\w**_**?)** because **\w** doesn't work when the the artist name has spaces, periods, etc
> insert " **\***" before " **/**" so you don't have a space at the end if " **/**" is written like " **/**"
> if there is only one artist without **/** character, the regular expression is not found and **%artist%** is written without replacement, i.e. left unchanged.
Fantastic.
I appreciate the code and the explanation. I never use the regular expressions often enough to remember some of these details. They are so handy when I do need them.