Help with a Regex Expression?

[adept22]

Hi, I am currently playing around with calibre and i need to try and get a regular expression to work that im having trouble with. If somebody is a guru and can help that would be great.

I have the below 2 examples of data
Darksaber
The Jedi Academy 03 - Champions of the Force

I currently have the expression

(.*?)([\d\d]+) -( .*)(?:)

In calibre when i use the \1 (Group 1) i get:
Darksaber
The jedi Academy

\2 u get:
Darksaber
03

\3 I get:
Darksaber
Champions of the force

Basically for the /1 and the /2 i dont want darksaber to appear. the \1 \2 group should only show a result when the input string has a Dash in it.

Is anybody able to help?

[Manichean]

I don't understand what you're trying to do. Where does that Darksaber stuff come from, anyway? The second line looks like it could be from the title metadata field, and from what I can see, the groups' second lines (the stuff after the Darksaber) are as one would expect, but I don't understand where the Darksaber in the group results is coming from. What metadata field is that string contained in?
Also, looking at your expression, the last group

(?:)

isn't doing anything. The syntax is for a non-grouping parentheses, but it's empty. In your second group, using the square brackets is unnecessary. You should use something like

(\d+)

for any number or, if the series index always has two digits and only two digits, use

(\d\d)

or

(\d{2})

[adept22]

Ok i have changed it to

(.*)(\d+) -( .*)

but it still doesnt do what i want. Im figuring its something to do with the first bit?

Basically in the TITLE field i have imported a heap of books, now some belong to a series and some dont. the ones with the - contain the series the ones without dont. Now i cant pickup this up at the import stage as i am actually already using the series import as the reading order. The filename is "Readingorder 01 - The Jedi Academy 03 - Champions of the Force" for example and the other is "Readingorder 02 - Darksaber".
WHat i do i import the reading order in as the series, then search replace that to the custom reading order field. Now i am trying to where theres a - split the series info into the series field.