I have data in a format like this:

43:1:1; 43:1:2; 43:1:3; 43:1:4; 43:1:5; 43:1:6; 27:3:7; 27:3:8; 27:3:9
+; 65:1:4; 65:1:18

[download]

I'm attempting to condense these to ranges for every sequence in which the first two colon-delimited numbers are the same and the third numbers are in chronological sequence. For this range, my output should be:

43:1:1-5; 27:3:7-9; 65:1:4; 65:1:18

[download]

The variability in potential sequence lengths is what is throwing me on this one. While I can match it with a regex expression, I don't know how to make the substitution with only the last matched number in the sequence, i.e., how to know which capture group is the last numbered capture.

Here is what I was trying:

    $seq =~ s/
        (\d+):(\d+):(\d+)

        (?:;|\s)*

        (\1):(\2):(?{1+($3|$6)})

        /$1:$2:$3-$6/xg;

[download]

This leaves me with the wrong output: 

#OUTPUT
43:1:1-2; 43:1:3-4; 43:1:5-6; 27:3:7-8; 27:3:9; 65:1:4-18

[download]

Am I attempting something beyond the bounds of regex?

Blessings,

~Polyglot~

In reply to Regexp substitution on variable-length ranges with embedded code? by Polyglot

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