Why does (.*?) group in /({\/\* )?#if (.*?)( \*\/})?/ not capture process.env.MODE === "std" when using {/* #if process.env.MODE === "std" */} as input?
I am aware removing ? from last group works… that said, it is a requirement.
Is it possible to work around this?
If you need to have an optional pattern at the end after an optional pattern (like .*?), you can convert the .*? lazy dot pattern into a tempered greedy token:
({\/\* )?#if ((?:(?! \*\/}).)*)( \*\/})?
See the regex demo.
The .*? is changed into a pattern that matches any char, zero or more but as many as possible occurrences, that is not a starting point of the */} char sequence.
Details:
({\/\* )? - an optional Group 1: /* and space#if - an #if string((?:(?! \*\/}).)*) - Group 2: any char other than line break chars, zero or more but as many as possible occurrences, that is not a starting point of the */} char sequence( \*\/})? - an optional Group 3: */} stringremove the optional '?' from the end of the regex which is making the last group optional
it should be
({\/\* )?#if (.*?)( \*\/})