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Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive.

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Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> wrote:

> (?...)  # Base Extension Syntax
> All extensions are wrapped in parenthesis and start with a question
> mark, but i believe the question mark was a very bad choice, since the
> question mark is already specific to "zero or one repetitions of
> preceding RE". This simple error is why i believe Python re's are so
> damn difficult to eyeball parse. You'll constantly be forced to spend
> too much time deciding if this question mark is a referring to
> repeats, or is the start of an extension syntax. We should have
> choosen another char, and the char should NOT be known to RE in any
> other place. Maybe the tilde would work? Wait, i have a MUCH better
> idea!!!

The problem with your idea is that it breaks compatability with other non-
Python regular expression engines. Python didn't invent the (?...) syntax, 
it originated with Perl.

Try complaining to a Perl group instead.

-- 
Duncan Booth http://kupuguy.blogspot.com

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Thread

PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 09:16 -0800
  Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 09:33 -0800
  Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Duncan Booth <duncan.booth@invalid.invalid> - 2012-01-25 19:32 +0000
    Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 18:19 -0500
  Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 13:17 -0700
    Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 13:19 -0800
      Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Duncan Booth <duncan.booth@invalid.invalid> - 2012-01-25 21:41 +0000
        Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 14:26 -0800
      Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 16:36 -0700
        Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 16:14 -0800
          Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-01-26 01:58 +0000
          Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 21:24 -0500
            Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 20:21 -0800
          Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Evan Driscoll <edriscoll@wisc.edu> - 2012-01-25 23:38 -0600
    Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-01-26 05:28 +0000
  Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-01-25 15:33 -0500
  Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 18:28 -0500
    Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 15:44 -0800
      Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-01-26 05:28 +0000
  Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-01-26 01:54 +0000
    Re: PyWart: Python regular expression syntax is not intuitive. Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2012-01-25 19:05 -0700

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