Regex: Select all html links except one particular html link <a href="https://..." /></a>

Question

I have more html links such as:

<a href="https://liber5fg.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/picture-183.jpg"><img loading="lazy" blah blah" /></a>
<a href="https://binterest68.wordpress.com/picture-183.jpg"><img loading="lazy" blah blah" /></a>
<a href="https://stevepeter.gono.com/picture-183.jpg"><img loading="lazy" blah blah" /></a>
<a href="https://sonarhut.com/bing0235644545.jpg"><img loading="lazy" blah blah" /></a>

I must use a regex to select/delete all links except the 3'th one with <a href="https://stevepeter.gono.com...

So, after find and replace, the output should be:

<a href="https://stevepeter.gono.com/picture-183.jpg"><img loading="lazy" blah blah" /></a>

I try this regex, but doesn't work too good:

FIND: (?s)<a href="https://+\K(?!stevepeter).+</a>(?-s)

Answer 1

Use the following:

• Ctrl+H
• Find what: (?s)<a href="https://(?!stevepeter)(?-s).+</a>
• Replace with: LEAVE EMPTY
• CHECK Match case
• CHECK Wrap around
• CHECK Regular expression
• UNCHECK . matches newline
• Replace all

Answer 2

another solution is to use this 2 generic formulas:

• Find what: (?s)BSR(FR)(?-s).+ESR

  or

• Find what: BSR(FR).+(?s:(?=.*(ESR)))

• BSR Begin Region Start

• ESR End Search Region

• FR Find Regex (here you put the formula for exception, staring with ?! )

In your case generic formula can be implement like this:

• Ctrl+H
• Find what: <a href="https://(?!stevepeter).+(?s:(?=.*(</a>)))
• Replace with: EMPTY
• CHECK Match case
• CHECK Wrap around
• CHECK Regular expression
• UNCHECK . matches newline
• Replace all