Capture patterns

["Jeff Wise" <jwise@...>]

Hello,

I am attempting to capture a series of numbers (all dollar amounts).  I have
experimented with multiple patterns to no avail.  I created this small
program to demonstrate my problem.

I am reading PDF reports and pulling dollar amounts and a description.  My
pattern is catching periods (used to indicate abbreviations) in the
description.  I am unable to figure out how to build a pattern to do this.
Here's the layout:

Description  0.00  3,587.46 (125,000.00)

This description may contain parentheses or periods.  The dollar figures are
in US standard accounting format where numbers enclosed in parentheses mean
negative values.  The program contains sample data and you can see the
problem.

--
  function extract(string1)
--
--   culls the string at the first digit in the report--
--
     local s, e = string.find(string1, "[%(]*%d+")
     if s == nil then return nil end
     local item = string.sub(string1, 1, s - 1)
     return item
     end
--
--
--
  function trim(s) 
    return (string.gsub(s, "^%s*(.-)%s*$","%1"))    
    end
--
--    
--  10/29/07 handle negatives in pattern. DOS uses "-" at end of number
--  
  
  local record = nil
  local i = 0
  local nums = {}
  local line_data = {}
--
--/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
--
  local pattern = "[%-%(%$]*[%d%,]*[%d%.%d%d]+[%)%-]*"
--  
--/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
--  
 
print("****************************Debug13*********************************"
)
  print("debug13- Version 1.0  1/07/08")
  print("debug13- Build CSV data from PDF listing of spreadsheet.", "\n\n")

  line_data[1] = "This is good data  4.00  3.99 (1,768.50)"
  line_data[2] = "Data- In a line  5.00 (100,000.00) 957,123.45"
  line_data[3] = "Repairs- () (Wages)  123,456.99  28,123.45 650.00"
  line_data[4] = "Repairs- Ex. Wages  50,120.00 500.00 1,000.00"
  line_data[5] = "A bunch of negatives (123,456.89) (123,456.90)
(123,456.91)"   
 
  for i = 1, #line_data do
       
       for num in string.gmatch(line_data[i], pattern) do           
            nums[#nums + 1] = num                               
       end --do for
	    
	   print(#nums, " <=== Number of captured numbers")
     
       if #nums == 3 then
            descr = trim(extract(line_data[i]))       
            print(descr, nums[1], nums[2], nums[3])
       end --if 
	    
	   if #nums == 4 then
            descr = trim(extract(line_data[i]))       
            print(descr, nums[1], nums[2], nums[3], nums[4])

       end --if 
            
       nums = {}
       
       print("----------------Loop Separator-------------")
       
  end --do  
  
  print("debug13- End of execution")










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