# Work with regex match as number
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/work-with-regex-match-as-number/66156
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [October 5, 2024, 1:09am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/work-with-regex-match-as-number/66156 "2024-10-05T01:09:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mskinnernc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mskinnernc)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2024, 1:09am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/work-with-regex-match-as-number/66156/1 "2024-10-05T01:09:29Z")
Problem: I have a copyright statement, containing two years. (eg 2001 and 2002). I want to set the YEAR tag to the latest year.
I.e. format value YEAR.
I get the two years: `$regexp(%copyright%,'.*(\d{4}).*(\d{4}).*',...)`.
Problem is the replacement term, no matter how I compare the terms, the comparison returns false, and it returns the second term.
I have tried every combination of:
Comparison functions: $if($geql($1,$2),$1,$2), same with $if($leql); $ifgreater($1,$2,$1,$2), $less; $grtr.
As to the params $1 and $2, I have tried: $1/$2; $num($1,), $add(0,$1), $sub($1,$2), $fmtNum($1), $num($trim($1)), and even $fmtDuration.
No matter what I use, the comparison always returns false.
How do I do this?
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2024, 6:23am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/work-with-regex-match-as-number/66156/2 "2024-10-05T06:23:32Z")
> [@mskinnernc](#):
>
> `$regexp(%copyright%,'.*(\d{4}).*(\d{4}).*',...)`.
This is missing the output part.
If you want to compare 2 values you first extract each value with the regular expression and then compare them.
so in
> [@mskinnernc](#):
>
> $if($geql($1,$2),$1,$2)
the $1 should be replaced with
`$regexp(%copyright%,'.*(\d{4}).*(\d{4}).*',$1)`
and
$2 with
`$regexp(%copyright%,'.*(\d{4}).*(\d{4}).*',$2)`
You can test the whole expression in Convert\>Tag-Tag
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### Author:  [@mskinnernc](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mskinnernc)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/work-with-regex-match-as-number/66156/3 "2024-10-05T21:53:06Z")
Thanks! So, in short, instead of using condition inside regex expression, use regex expression inside condition.
Also, thanks for the testing tip! Makes life a lot easier.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/work-with-regex-match-as-number/66156/4 "2024-11-04T21:53:20Z")
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