Simple Regex - logic help needed to match a string but not as character class.

Question

I have the following sample template code.

{# @T('core.layout:Logged in as {0} {1}', @user('firstname'), @user('lastname')) #} {# VAR_TEST #}

And the following regex used to parse for the tags

/{# (\@)?(([A-Z][^#}]+)|(([a-zA-Z0-9\_]+)?\(([^#}]*)\))) #}/

However it only matches the last tag because of the close curly braces (}) in the first tag. I'm no expert in regex and thus the problem. I'm attempting to limit the matching by stopping the tags matching anything after the tag close #} by using the every character except #} pattern, ie [^#}]. However this is matching individual characters and not the #} string as a whole.

How to you write a regex to match everything but a string but not in character class mode?

Fyi, the regex flavour is PHP and preg_match.

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Edit 1;

So I need to match

{# @T('core.layout:Logged in as {0} {1}', @user('firstname'), @user('lastname')) #}

and

{# VAR_TEST #}

with the same regex. however the first test match indicates a very complicated tag which is broken down with further regexes at a later point.

Answer 1

Use a negative lookahead assertion: (?!#}).

But personally I would write the PCRE as: /{#.*?#}/ That's way more straightforward ;)

Answer 2

Use a negative lookahead assertion:

(?:(?!#\}).)*

Explanation:

(?:      # match the following:
 (?!#\}) # assert that it's impossible to match #} here (but don't actually match it)
 .       # match any character
)*       # zero or more times

Answer 3

Try replacing [^#}]* with ([^#]|#[^}])*.