java pattern matching insenitive to spaces

Question

I have:

Pattern pat = Pattern.compile("(\\d+) (\\d+) (1$)");
Matcher mat = pat.matcher(line);

with matches for:

1 2 1

but not for:

1     2     1

How can I achieve, that pattern matching is insenitive according to spaces between numbers?

Answer 1

Use \\s for one space and add a + that means one ore more spaces.

"(\\d+)\\s+(\\d+)\\s+(1$)"

If you want zero or more spaces you have to use a * instead of the + .

Answer 2

Use quantifier (+) with a space, to match one or more space: -

Pattern.compile("(\\d+)\\s+(\\d+)\\s+(1$)");

Similarly there are other quantifiers : -

• * to match 0 or more
• ? to match 0 or 1