[2008] using the +, ||, and * symbol in regex ruins my text?

I am inserting spaces before and after text, using regex, to make operators be spaced, IE:
EDIT
I AM ALSO UNABLE to use the characters "(" and ")"
if (i>0) {}
becomes
if (i > 0) {}

now it works great, but if I add the characters ||, * or +, it adds like 20 spaces in my text and totally ruins it? I end up with something like
i f (i>0 ) {}

etc..

I am declaring the regex like this:

Code:

---

Dim rRegex As New Regex("\b||\b")

---

, as an example

Does anyone know why?

What code are you using to apply this regex to your text? If possible show some code with input and the output you're getting (in [code] tags so that it preserves whitespace)

Here is all the code for formatting my text, as you will see.

vb.net Code:

Public Function AutoFormatLines() As Object
        If Not Settings.bFormatText Then
            Return Nothing
        End If
        pbProgress.Visible = True
        Dim iBracketsFound As Integer = 0
        Dim iTabIndent As Integer = Settings.iIndent
        Dim sFoundWhat As String = ""
        bDisableSelectionUpdates = True
        Dim sOperators() As String = {"<", ">", "=", "<=", ">=", "&&", "-", "/", "==", "!="} 
        'Cant use the brackets ( or ), and I can't use ||, +, *
        Dim sBrackets() As String = {"(", ")"}
        Dim sBracketsLength As Integer = sBrackets.Length - 1
        'use regex
        Dim sOperatorLength As Integer = sOperators.Length - 1
        Dim rRegex(sOperatorLength) As Regex
        For i As Integer = 0 To sOperatorLength
            rRegex(i) = New Regex("\b" & sOperators(i) & "\b")
        Next i
        Dim rBrackets(sBracketsLength) As Regex
        For i As Integer = 0 To sBracketsLength
            'rBrackets(i) = New Regex("\b" & sBrackets(i) & "\b")
        Next i
        Dim mc As MatchCollection = Nothing
        LockWindowUpdate(rtbEdit.Handle)
        lStatus.Text = "Status: Formatting Text"
        Application.DoEvents()
        'Adjust one line at a time
        'Search for lines that start with a bracket (only)
        Dim iStart As Integer = rtbEdit.SelectionStart
        Dim iLength As Integer = rtbEdit.Lines.Length
        Dim sLinesText() As String = rtbEdit.Lines
        Dim iIndent As Integer = 0
        Dim bPass As Boolean = False
        Dim bSkip As Boolean = False
        pbProgress.PerformStep()
        'Dim sRTBText As String = rtbEdit.Text
        For i As Integer = 0 To iLength - 1
            bPass = False
            bSkip = False
            If i = CInt(iLength / 4) - 1 Then
                pbProgress.PerformStep()
                Application.DoEvents()
            End If
            If i = CInt(iLength / 2) - 1 Then
                pbProgress.PerformStep()
                Application.DoEvents()
            End If
            If i = CInt(iLength / 1.3) - 1 Then
                pbProgress.PerformStep()
                Application.DoEvents()
            End If
            Dim iCurrentLineLength As Integer = sLinesText(i).Length
            If iCurrentLineLength > 0 Then
                Dim iSelectStart As Integer = rtbEdit.GetFirstCharIndexFromLine(i)
                Dim iSub As String = sLinesText(i).Substring(0, 1)
                Dim iTempInteger As Integer = 0
                Do Until iSub <> " " AndAlso iSub <> ControlChars.Tab 'tabs!
                    Dim iLen As Integer = sLinesText(i).Length
                    If iLen < iTempInteger + 1 Then
                        Exit Do
                    End If
                    iSub = sLinesText(i).Substring(iTempInteger, 1)
                    iTempInteger += 1
                Loop
                Dim iTempIndent As Integer = iBracketsFound * iTabIndent
                Dim iLineN As Integer = sLinesText(i).Length - 1
                For k As Integer = 0 To iLineN
                    Dim sSubstr As String = sLinesText(i).Substring(k, 1)
                    If sSubstr = "{" Then
                        iBracketsFound += 1
                        sFoundWhat = "{"
                        bPass = True 'SEARCH in this FOR LOOP for >0 and make it > 0 etc..
                    End If
                    If sSubstr = "}" Then
                        iBracketsFound -= 1
                        sFoundWhat = "}"
                        bPass = True
                    End If
                    Dim bRan As Boolean = False
                Next k
                For k As Integer = 0 To sOperatorLength
                    mc = rRegex(k).Matches(sLinesText(i))
                    For Each mMatch As Match In mc
                        If mMatch.Index + sOperators(k).Length < sLinesText(i).Length Then
                            Dim sB4 As String = sLinesText(i).Substring(mMatch.Index, sOperators(k).Length)
                            Dim iAFPos As Integer = 0
                            If sB4 <> " " Then
                                rtbEdit.SelectionStart = iSelectStart + mMatch.Index
                                rtbEdit.SelectionLength = 0
                                rtbEdit.SelectedText = " "
                                'rtbEdit.Text = rtbEdit.Text.Insert(iSelectStart + mMatch.Index, " ")
                                iAFPos = 1
                            End If
                            If mMatch.Index + iAFPos + sOperators(k).Length < sLinesText(i).Length Then
                                Dim sAF As String = sLinesText(i).Substring(mMatch.Index + iAFPos, sOperators(k).Length)
                                If sAF <> " " Then
                                    rtbEdit.SelectionStart = iSelectStart + mMatch.Index + iAFPos + sOperators(k).Length
                                    rtbEdit.SelectionLength = 0
                                    rtbEdit.SelectedText = " "
                                    'rtbEdit.Text = rtbEdit.Text.Insert(iSelectStart + mMatch.Index + iAFPos + sOperators(k).Length, " ")
                                End If
                            End If
                        End If
                    Next mMatch
                Next k
                'For k As Integer = 0 To sBracketsLength
                '    mc = rBrackets(k).Matches(sLinesText(i))
                '    For Each mMatch As Match In mc
                '        If mMatch.Index + 1 < sLinesText(i).Length Then
                '            Dim sB4 As String = sLinesText(i).Substring(mMatch.Index, 1)
                '            Dim iAFPos As Integer = 0
                '            If sB4 = " " Then
                '                rtbEdit.Text = rtbEdit.Text.Remove(iSelectStart + mMatch.Index, 1)
                '                iAFPos = 1
                '            End If
                '            If mMatch.Index + iAFPos + 1 < sLinesText(i).Length Then
                '                Dim sAF As String = sLinesText(i).Substring(mMatch.Index + iAFPos, sOperators(k).Length)
                '                If sAF <> " " Then
                '                    rtbEdit.Text = rtbEdit.Text.Remove(iSelectStart + mMatch.Index + iAFPos, 1)
                '                End If
                '            End If
                '        End If
                '    Next mMatch
                'Next k
                iIndent = iBracketsFound * iTabIndent
                Dim iTempIndent2 As Integer = iIndent
                If iLineN + 1 > 1 Then
                    'this line has more than just a curly bracket!
                    iIndent = iTempIndent ' we also need to move that curly bracket to the next line!
                    If sFoundWhat = "}" Then 'coming down, revert to iIndent
                        iIndent = iTempIndent2
                    End If
                Else
                    iIndent -= iTabIndent
                End If
                If iTempInteger > 0 Then
                    rtbEdit.SelectionStart = rtbEdit.GetFirstCharIndexFromLine(i)
                    rtbEdit.SelectionLength = iTempInteger - 1
                    rtbEdit.SelectedText = ""
                End If
                If Not bSkip Then
                    rtbEdit.SelectionStart = iSelectStart
                    For k As Integer = 0 To iIndent - 1
                        rtbEdit.SelectedText &= " "
                    Next k
                    iTabPositions(iTabCount) = iSelectStart + iIndent
                    iTabCount += 1
                End If
            End If
        Next i
        rtbEdit.SelectionStart = iStart
        bDisableSelectionUpdates = False
        LockWindowUpdate(IntPtr.Zero)
        pbProgress.PerformStep()
        Threading.Thread.Sleep(250)
        lStatus.Text = "Status: Ready"
        pbProgress.Visible = False
        pbProgress.Value = 0
        Return Nothing
    End Function

Can you see what's wrong?

Here are the errors,
Trying to use */ in regex (to search for)

error: An error occurred creating the form. See Exception.InnerException for details. The error is: parsing "*/" - Quantifier {x,y} following nothing.

trying to use + in regex (to search for)

An error occurred creating the form. See Exception.InnerException for details. The error is: parsing "+" - Quantifier {x,y} following nothing.

trying to use * in regex (to search for)

An error occurred creating the form. See Exception.InnerException for details. The error is: parsing "*" - Quantifier {x,y} following nothing.

Trying to use ( in regex (to search for)

An error occurred creating the form. See Exception.InnerException for details. The error is: parsing "(" - Not enough )'s.

trying to use ) in regex (to search for)

An error occurred creating the form. See Exception.InnerException for details. The error is: parsing ")" - Too many )'s.



/ adds 3 spaces behind it (instead of 1)
- same as /
* puts spaces between almost every letter in my code? IE i f ( 0 > 1 ) i n t i = 0 ; etc....
|| adds about 50 spaces behind it, and deletes most of the text.

I am just spacing operators, so
if (i!=0) would become, if (i != 0)
everything works fine, but the / - * and || symbols, the */ won't compile, and the ( and ) symbols won't compile either..
They will compile if I place "\b" tags around them, but funny stuff happens..

Does anyone know why?

Thanks

perhaps I can wrap another tag around them to make the regex treat it as a letter? and not a regex code?

Thanks