java - Returning substring without markers using Pattern&Matcher -

i want use pattern , matcher return following string multiple variables.

    arraylist <pattern> parray = new arraylist <pattern>();     parray.add(pattern.compile("\\[[0-9]{2}/[0-9]{2}/[0-9]{2} [0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\\]"));     parray.add(pattern.compile("\\[\\d{1,5}\\]"));     parray.add(pattern.compile("\\[[a-za-z[^#0-9]]+\\]"));     parray.add(pattern.compile("\\[#.+\\]"));     parray.add(pattern.compile("\\[[0-9]{10}\\]"));     matcher imatcher;     string infostring = "[03/12/13 10:00][30][john smith][5554215445][#comment]";     (int = 0 ; < parray.size() ; i++)     {         //out.println(parray.get(i).tostring());         imatcher = parray.get(i).matcher(infostring);          while (datematcher.find())         {                 string found = imatcher.group();                 out.println(found.substring(1, found.length()-1));         }     } } 

the program outputs:

[03/12/13 10:00]  [30]  [john smith]  [\#comment]  [5554215445] 

the thing need have program not print brackets , # character. can avoid printing brackets using substrings inside loop cannot avoid # character. # comment indentifier in string.

can done inside loop?

how this?

public static void main(string[] args) {     string infostring = "[03/12/13 10:00][30][john smith][5554215445][#comment]";     final pattern pattern = pattern.compile("\\[#?(.+?)\\]");     final matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(infostring);     while (matcher.find()) {         system.out.println(matcher.group(1));     } } 

you need make .+ non greedy , match between square brackets. use match group grab want rather using whole matched pattern, match group represented (pattern). #? matches hash before match group doesn't group.

the match group retreived using matcher.group(1).

output:

03/12/13 10:00 30 john smith 5554215445 comment