REGEX issue, selecting an sql query with multiple new lines -

i trying select every query select in start , limit in end, example:

$selquery = "select disticnt c.firstname,c.lastname,c.id clientid,qc.category_name,qr.cid,qr.catid,qr.rhid                     cms_question_report qr, cms_clients c,cms_questioncategory qc ,cms_reporthistory rh                     c.id=qr.cid                     , qr.rhid=rh.id                     , qr.catid='".$objarray['catid']."'                     , qr.catid=qc.id                     , c.id in($selclids)                     limit $page_no,$this->limit"; 

and not select other query doesn't contain limit. regex thought work this:

select .*\n* limit 

where i'm stating has start "select" other characters , ends limit, issue don't know how handle \n*, have multiple unknown number of new lines , in each line there unknown characters, i'm assuming should go \n*.\n.* , on, there way can select character including new line.

i have tried using solution: regex match character including new lines , adjusted regex to:

select /s* limit 

but didn't work well.

also tried:

select (.|\n)* limit 

but didn't work.

as @commusoft commented sql queries have structure cannot correctly recognized using regular expressions.

but if want find in source code strings containing queries beginning select , having word limit , allowing eols between quotation marks, use this:

\"select([^"]|\n|\"[^";]*\")*limit([^"]|\n|\"[^";]*\")*\"; 

demo here

this regex match string delimited double quotes words select , limit, , allowing in between 0 or more

• characters not double quotes
• \n
• a pair of double quotes character in between ;

this may need, depends on code looks like. example if build query catenating variables won't work.

note depending on operating system end of line mark can \r\n or \r.