Javascript - Scans Text Corresponding to a Certain Label

Question

I have the text below:

This is a code update

* Official Name:  Noner


* Pub: https://content.upcodes.co/viewer/washington/wa-mechanical-code-2021

* Agency:  Agency Ni

* Reference: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20230226234118/https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/agency/BuildingCodeCouncil.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20230303022030/https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/2023/02/23-02-055.htm (#1)

* Citation: WAC 51-52 / WSR 23-02-055

* Draft Doc Title: 

 WSR 23-02-055 (#1)

* Draft Source Doc: https://web.archive.org/web/20230303022030/https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/2023/02/23-02-055.htm (#1)

* Draft Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pYmwQS3t-ZX-Vyg9yBabtIpXZ7By2G6f/view?usp=share_link ( #1)

* Final Doc Title: 

   IECC Com Update(#1)

   IECC Res Update (#2)

   IECC Res Update (#3)

* Final Source Doc: 
  https://web.archive.org/web/20230303022130/https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=51-52&full=true&pdf=true (#1)
 https://web.archive.org/web/20230303022030/https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/2023/02/23-02-055.htm (#2)

* Final Drive: https://web.archive.org/web/20230303022130/https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=51-52&full=true&pdf=true (#1)

https://web.archive.org/web/2023030302fdfdfg2130/https://apps.legfdg.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=51-52&fdsfullfdsf=true&pfdsfdf=true  (#2)

* Effective Date: January 4, 2023

I want to extract the information corresponding to the tag 'Reference:' but the code below only gives me one line. I want to scan all text until it encounters the asterisk symbol.

//Extract Reference    
var reference = description.search("Reference:");
if(reference != -1){
  reference = description.match(/(?<=^\* Reference\s*:)[\s]*[\n]*[^\n\r]*/m);  
  reference  = reference?.[0].trim();   
}else{
  reference = '';
}
console.log('Reference: ' + reference);

Expected Output:

https://web.archive.org/web/20230226234118/https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/agency/BuildingCodeCouncil.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20230303022030/https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/2023/02/23-02-055.htm (#1)

Answer 1

I decided to follow @Nick's idea not making any assumption about the 'subject' string.

I produced two lenient approaches in the sense that they work:

• when there's no Reference item (returning an empty string),
• when the Reference item has an empty content,
• and when the Reference item content is at the end of the string (thus not followed by an other item).

The first works in all cases whatever the content:

let ref_pat = /^\* Reference:\s*(.*\S(?:\s+.*\S)*?)??\s*(?:^\*|(?![\s\S]))/m;
let reference = description.match(ref_pat)?.[1] ?? '';

A second more efficient pattern is possible if you assume the content doesn't contain asterisk characters:

let ref_pat = /^\* Reference:\s*([^*]*[^*\s])/m;
let reference = description.match(ref_pat)?.[1] ?? '';

This is the only break, but this one is from far more simple.

Whatever the one you choose, the result is already trimmed.