Groups.java

// strings/Groups.java
// (c)2017 MindView LLC: see Copyright.txt
// We make no guarantees that this code is fit for any purpose.
// Visit http://OnJava8.com for more book information.
import java.util.regex.*;

public class Groups {
  public static final String POEM =
    "Twas brillig, and the slithy toves\n" +
    "Did gyre and gimble in the wabe.\n" +
    "All mimsy were the borogoves,\n" +
    "And the mome raths outgrabe.\n\n" +
    "Beware the Jabberwock, my son,\n" +
    "The jaws that bite, the claws that catch.\n" +
    "Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun\n" +
    "The frumious Bandersnatch.";
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Matcher m = Pattern.compile(
      "(?m)(\\S+)\\s+((\\S+)\\s+(\\S+))$")
      .matcher(POEM);
    while(m.find()) {
      for(int j = 0; j <= m.groupCount(); j++)
        System.out.print("[" + m.group(j) + "]");
      System.out.println();
    }
  }
}
/* Output:
[the slithy toves][the][slithy toves][slithy][toves]
[in the wabe.][in][the wabe.][the][wabe.]
[were the borogoves,][were][the
borogoves,][the][borogoves,]
[mome raths outgrabe.][mome][raths
outgrabe.][raths][outgrabe.]
[Jabberwock, my son,][Jabberwock,][my son,][my][son,]
[claws that catch.][claws][that catch.][that][catch.]
[bird, and shun][bird,][and shun][and][shun]
[The frumious Bandersnatch.][The][frumious
Bandersnatch.][frumious][Bandersnatch.]
*/