Regex for Parsing Custom Log Files in Python - Handling Multi-line Entries
I'm building a feature where I'm stuck on something that should probably be simple. I've searched everywhere and can't find a clear answer... I'm currently working on parsing custom log files where each entry can span multiple lines... The logs are structured as follows: ``` [INFO] 2023-10-05 14:30:00 - Starting process [behavior] 2023-10-05 14:30:01 - An behavior occurred Details: Missing configuration file [INFO] 2023-10-05 14:30:05 - Process completed ``` I need a regex pattern that captures the full log entries, including any details that can occur across multiple lines after an behavior message. My initial attempt was: ```python import re log_pattern = r'\[(\w+)\]\s(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}\s\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})\s-\s([^\n]+)(?:\n(.*?)(?=\n\[|$))' ``` When I run this on a sample log, I only get the first line of the multi-line entries, which isn't what I need. Here’s the snippet I used to match the log: ```python with open('logfile.log') as f: logs = f.read() matches = re.findall(log_pattern, logs, re.DOTALL) for match in matches: print(match) ``` The output is not capturing the multiline details. Instead, the `match` seems to cut off after the first newline. The regex should allow for everything following an behavior message until it hits another log entry or the end of the file. I’ve also tried adjusting the regex to include `.*?` after `\n(.*?)`, but it still doesn’t work as expected. Do I need a different approach to capture these multi-line entries effectively? Any insights would be appreciated. Is there a better approach? This issue appeared after updating to Python 3.10. I'd really appreciate any guidance on this. My team is using Python for this mobile app. Could someone point me to the right documentation?