Regex: how to ignore nested brackets in [Y](X) pattern?

Question

I'm using Regular Expressions to find and replace parts of the text that look like this pattern:

[Y](X)

where X and Y are different phrases, and the search process is based on X only

The following pattern does the job, but it replaces more text when there are nested brackets

\[.*\]\(X\)

e.g.

[ZZZ [Y](X)

Text Sample:

The [epidermis](Epidermis (skin)) (the outermost layer of skin) and the outer dermis (the layer beneath the epidermis).Contact dermatitis results in large, burning, and itchy rashes. These can take anywhere from several days to weeks to heal. This differentiates it from contact urticaria –

How can I fix my Regular Expression to avoid this?

Answer 1

If I understood correctly you wanted to use a positive look ahead like:

In this sample:

[epidermis](Epidermis (skin))

you do something like:

\[[^\[\]]*?\](?=\(Epidermis \(skin\)\))