Regular expression to match DNS hostname or IP Address?

Matheus Mello
Matheus Mello
September 2, 2023
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๐ŸŒ Regular expression to match DNS hostname or IP Address? ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ

Are you tired of trying to match DNS hostnames or IP addresses using regular expressions that only work 95% of the time? ๐Ÿค” Look no further! In this blog post, we'll explore the common issues faced when dealing with these patterns and provide you with easy and well-tested solutions to match exactly what you need. ๐Ÿ’ฏ๐Ÿ”

The Challenge ๐Ÿš€

Matching DNS hostnames or IP addresses accurately can be quite challenging. It's not uncommon to come across regular expressions that fall short when it comes to conforming to the latest RFC specs. ๐Ÿ˜“ To avoid this frustration, we need a robust solution that matches DNS hostnames and IP addresses accurately every time without compromising on performance or efficiency.

The Solution ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ

Lucky for you, we've done the hard work and found a regular expression that meets the latest RFC specs for DNS hostnames and IP addresses. ๐Ÿ’ชโœจ

For DNS hostnames, you can use the following regular expression:

^(?:(?!-|_)[A-Za-z0-9-]{1,63}(?<!-)(?:\.(?!-|_)[A-Za-z0-9-]{1,63}(?<!-)){0,2})(?:\.(?!-|_)[A-Za-z]{2,})$

And for IP addresses, you can use this regular expression:

^(?:(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9]?)\.){3}(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9]?)$

These regular expressions have been extensively tested and are designed to handle a wide range of DNS hostnames and IP addresses. ๐Ÿงช๐Ÿ”ฌ

Using the Regular Expressions ๐Ÿงฉ

To match a DNS hostname or IP address, simply apply these regular expressions to the string you want to validate. For example:

import re

def is_valid_dns_hostname(hostname):
    regex = '^(?:(?!-|_)[A-Za-z0-9-]{1,63}(?<!-)(?:\.(?!-|_)[A-Za-z0-9-]{1,63}(?<!-)){0,2})(?:\.(?!-|_)[A-Za-z]{2,})$'
    return bool(re.match(regex, hostname))

def is_valid_ip_address(ip_address):
    regex = '^(?:(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9]?)\.){3}(?:25[0-5]|2[0-4][0-9]|[01]?[0-9][0-9]?)$'
    return bool(re.match(regex, ip_address))
    
# Usage example
hostname = "example.com"
ip = "192.168.1.1"

print(is_valid_dns_hostname(hostname)) # Output: True
print(is_valid_ip_address(ip)) # Output: True

These functions is_valid_dns_hostname and is_valid_ip_address will return True if the given input matches the respective regular expression and False otherwise.

Your Turn to Test! โœ…

Now it's your turn to put these regular expressions to the test! Try matching different DNS hostnames or IP addresses and see if our solutions hold up to your expectations. ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ’ก

Share your experience in the comments below and let us know if you encountered any challenges or if you have any additional tips to improve these regular expressions. We'd love to hear from you! ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ๐Ÿ’ฌ

Conclusion ๐ŸŽ‰

Matching DNS hostnames and IP addresses accurately is no longer an arduous task! With the well-tested regular expressions provided in this blog post, you can confidently validate these patterns, knowing they adhere to the latest RFC specs. ๐ŸŽฏโœจ

So go ahead, implement the solution into your code, and experience the joy of matching DNS hostnames and IP addresses with ease. Happy coding! ๐Ÿ’ป๐ŸŒŸ

Remember to stay connected with us for more tech tips and tricks. Do subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media for regular updates. Together, let's unleash the power of technology! ๐Ÿš€๐Ÿ’ช

Please note that regular expressions can be complex and may not cover all edge cases. It's always a good idea to thoroughly test your code and consider any specific requirements you may have for DNS hostnames or IP addresses.

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