Powershell complicated regex powershell multiple groups - regex

Question

I need some help with my regex.
My code looks like this (I haven't gotten very far):
$source_file = "\\server\minified.txt"
$sf_content = gc $source_file -raw
$sections = $sf_content | select-string -AllMatches '(?smi)(^\s+\d+:\d+\s+AM\s+\w+\s+ACCOUNT ACTIVITY\s-\s)(\w+\s+\w+$)(.+?(Start Account\s\d+)(.+?Elapsed))'
$sections
The file looks like this:
I was able to get the first and last name using my regex from the "ACCOUNT ACTIVITY - PERSON'S NAMEHERE" string circled in red at the top of the image shown above.
My end goal is to be able to regex the blue box as a match, getting all information from the date on the top left, down to the "1 Accounts worked per hour". Then I want to get the info from the 2nd red circle. I would like to get the start time at the beginning of that line and then find the last instance of the same line "Start account 54321234" so that I can take the last time minus the first time.
So for each blue box, get the info from the red circles. For each red circle containing "Start account" take the blue circle minus the green circle.
I would like to try this using regex groups. If I can't figure that out I'd like to put each of my blue box regex into an array and for each item in the array I can further do regex to get what I want.
My code is not complete. But I'm not sure how to do the regex so I'll keep updating this as I update the script and do my own research.
If anybody has pointers I'd appreciate it.
Here is the source content in text form:
05/07/20 Acme, Inc. PAGE 1
9:48 AM ABC ACCOUNT ACTIVITY - Bart Simpson
The time ELAPSED since the previous line is printed as HOURS:MINUTES:SECONDS.
DATE TIME ELAPSED ACTION
04/16/20 8:06:50 0:00 Enter Account Screen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:06:53 0:03 Start account 12345678 ROSS, BOB N
8:07:24 0:31 Finished account in 31 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:07:26 0:02 Start account 54321234 DOE, JOHN
8:07:27 0:01 Finished account in 1 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:07:28 0:02 Start account 54321234 DOE, JOHN
8:10:26 0:01 Finished account in 1 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/06/20 4:55:49 5:08 Leave Account Screen 9:33 Elapsed
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/06/20 4:55:55 0:06 Leave Account Screen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY TOTALS
5:33:46 - Time on Account screen for the day.
3 Calls 1 Calls per hour
3 Contacts 1 Contacts per hour
3 Accounts worked 1 Accounts worked per hour
05/07/20 Acme, Inc. PAGE 1
9:48 AM ABC ACCOUNT ACTIVITY - Lisa Simpson
The time ELAPSED since the previous line is printed as HOURS:MINUTES:SECONDS.
DATE TIME ELAPSED ACTION
04/16/20 8:06:50 0:00 Enter Account Screen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:06:53 0:03 Start account 6543212 DOE, JANE
8:07:24 0:31 Finished account in 31 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:07:26 0:02 Start account 88888888 DEER, JOHN
8:07:27 1:01 Finished account in 1 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/06/20 4:55:49 5:08 Leave Account Screen 10:33 Elapsed
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/06/20 4:55:55 0:06 Leave Account Screen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY TOTALS
5:33:46 - Time on Account screen for the day.
3 Calls 1 Calls per hour
3 Contacts 1 Contacts per hour
3 Accounts worked 1 Accounts worked per hour

Answer 1

You're going to struggle with a regex. It seems to flap repeating the second capturing group. I tried for a while, adding in labels for your pertinent matches, and I was only picking up the first matches using this regex. Anyone who is a "regex king", please look away.
(?smi)(^\s+\d+:\d+\s+(AM|PM)\s+\w+\s+ACCOUNT ACTIVITY\s-\s)(?<name>\w+\s+\w+$)(.+?(?<begin>\d+:\d+:\d+)(\s+\d:\d+\s+)(?<acctnumber>Start Account\s\d+)(\s+)(?<account>\w+,\s\w+(\s[A-za-z]|))\s+(?<end>.+?\d:\d+))
You can provide a template to pick up all fields of potential interest and use ConvertFrom-String. The key is to label all the items you want uniquely in braces. You then have to mark the first item in the template with a star, so using your example from above, you'd have something like this.
$template = #"
05/07/20 Acme, Inc. PAGE 1
9:48 AM ABC ACCOUNT ACTIVITY - {customer*:Bart Simpson}
The time ELAPSED since the previous line is printed as HOURS:MINUTES:SECONDS.
DATE TIME ELAPSED ACTION
04/16/20 8:06:50 0:00 Enter Account Screen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{begin1:8:06:53} 0:03 {accNum1:Start account 12345678} {name1:ROSS, BOB N}
{end1:8:07:24} 0:31 Finished account in 31 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{begin2:8:07:26} 0:02 {accNum2:Start account 54321234} {name2:DOE, JOHN}
{end2:8:07:27} 0:01 Finished account in 1 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{begin3:8:07:28} 0:02 {accNum3:Start account 54321234} {name3:DOE, JOHN}
{end3:8:10:26} 0:01 Finished account in 1 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/06/20 4:55:49 5:08 Leave Account Screen 9:33 Elapsed
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/06/20 4:55:55 0:06 Leave Account Screen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY TOTALS
5:33:46 - Time on Account screen for the day.
3 Calls 1 Calls per hour
3 Contacts 1 Contacts per hour
3 Accounts worked 1 Accounts worked per hour
05/07/20 Acme, Inc. PAGE 1
9:48 AM ABC ACCOUNT ACTIVITY - {customer*:Lisa Simpson}
The time ELAPSED since the previous line is printed as HOURS:MINUTES:SECONDS.
DATE TIME ELAPSED ACTION
04/16/20 8:06:50 0:00 Enter Account Screen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{begin1:8:06:53} 0:03 {accNum1:Start account 6543212} {name1:DOE, JANE}
{end1:8:07:24} 0:31 Finished account in 31 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{begin2:8:07:26} 0:02 {accNum2:Start account 88888888} {name2:DEER, JOHN}
{end2:8:07:27} 1:01 Finished account in 1 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{begin3:\s} 0:02 {accNum3:\s} {name3:\s}
{end3:\s} 1:01 Finished account in 1 seconds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/06/20 4:55:49 5:08 Leave Account Screen 10:33 Elapsed
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05/06/20 4:55:55 0:06 Leave Account Screen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAILY TOTALS
5:33:46 - Time on Account screen for the day.
3 Calls 1 Calls per hour
3 Contacts 1 Contacts per hour
3 Accounts worked 1 Accounts worked per hour
"#
In your final example I have added a third set with a regex space in them, so that it doesn't duplicate the second set of data in set three.
You can then pipe your full input through the cmdlet, using the -TemplateContent parameter to apply your template. And you should get the data out the other side.
$data = # Get your data
$data | ConvertFrom-String -TemplateContent $template
customer : Bart Simpson
begin1 : 8:06:53
accNum1 : Start account 12345678
name1 : ROSS, BOB N
end1 : 8:07:24
begin2 : 8:07:26
accNum2 : Start account 54321234
name2 : DOE, JOHN
end2 : 8:07:27
begin3 : 8:07:28
accNum3 : Start account 54321234
name3 : DOE, JOHN
end3 : 8:10:26
customer : Lisa Simpson
begin1 : 8:06:53
accNum1 : Start account 6543212
name1 : DOE, JANE
end1 : 8:07:24
begin2 : 8:07:26
accNum2 : Start account 88888888
name2 : DEER, JOHN
end2 : 8:07:27
You can then compare your data, looping through the output objects.