Testing, Build and RegEx
RegEx Expression Maintenance
Your FormTrap System comes with a number of standard RegEx expressons plus maintenance facilities to add, remove and edit expressions. Ourselves, other users or yourselves may generate additional expressions which require inclusion in your installation set.
RegEx expressions are of two types:
Rule Expressions used to identify documents, areas, fields and areas within fields
Field Normalizations used to extract or represent data
Three tools are provided: Rule expression wizard and Field normalization wizard to allow the addition, edit and delete from the list of standard RegEx expressions; and import facilities from the currently loaded form.
Documentation of RegEx is on the web at any number of sites. We find these useful:
- http://regular-expressions.info/ for tutorials, and
- https://regex101.com/ for debugging existing expressions, and
- https://stackoverflow.com/ for programmer support containing useful tips and samples.
Support is not available under our Support and Upgrades contract with customers. If you have issues with RegEx and/or require new RegEx made for you we will do this at our then current consulting rates, in 15 minutes increments (current rates for calendar 2023 are AUD $110/15 minutes (incl. GST) and USD $65/15 minutes).
Changing a Rule Expression in Situ
Rule Expressions are used at various stages in FTForm Plus for logic to recognize documents, records, record areas, fields and field components and to selectively create Delivery Tags. Rule expression additions are rare, most unique Rule Expressions are amended in situ, as shown below.
This shows the standard Exactly matches
rule, with the content of the field inserted.
This shows the amended rule where Contains
allows either
T A X I N V O I C E or D E B I T N O T E.
Rule Expression Wizard
The Tools area contains three icons for RegEx Expressions.
This shows the 
Rule Expression Wizard icon used to add a new Rule
Expression for the above case. The new rule (Contains either one
of two) appears in the Rules List on completion of this
Window. We recommend using FIXME or FIXMEx as items
in the expression to be replaced.
This is the Rule Expression window allowing maintenance activity on the set of rules for this system. Rule expression changes or additions are rare.
Field Normalization Maintenance
The 
Field Normalization icon is used to modify the list of Field
Normalizations that convert incoming data to the desired format.
Users commonly modify the list of Field Normalization rules for
their circumstances.
Pressing the icon opens a list of existing Field Normalization expression, with Add (new)..., Add (copy)..., Edit... and Remove... buttons available.
This shows adding a new Field Normalization, with most of the task complete, using the Testbench to confirm results.
Individual lines within a Field Normalization, may be individually selected, amended and tested, as shown.
Import Custom Field Normalizations
The 
Import Customer Field Normalizations icon is used to import
custom Field Normalizations from the current form into the Field
Normalization list (imported are the RegEx expressions, named as #1
(field name)). The program reports the number of expressions
imported and advises use of the Wizard to change their names from
the default imported name provided.
This shows two imported items, first, in the
Field Normalization list.