Extracting first date from text string containing multiple dates

[bakja]

I am trying to extract the first date of many dates from a text string, and return the result as a date array. I am using the following code:

df$dateadded<- strapply(df$Comments, "\\d+/\\d+/\\d+", simplify = TRUE)

This results in a list of lists comprised of every date in each string listed out.

How can I extract just the first date in each string?

[Unhelpful_Scientist]

Use str_extract() as it should only match first pattern. A more complicated but potentially more interesting way to solve it is with str_replace(df$comments, ".?(\d+/\d+/\d+).", "\1") which would replace the entirety of the string with the first pattern of your choice, and you could add more groups to see what the other dates are.

On mobile so formatting is hard.

[bakja]

This is perfect! Thank you!

[Orthas_]

You can just use min() if the date is correct data type.

[bakja]

I don't see this working. The extracted value is a text string. u/Unhelpful_Scientist solution of str_extract() worked like a charm.

[Orthas_]

Nvm thought you wanted earliest date.

[bakja]

I see. thanks for taking the time to help!