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Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem

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On 11/06/2014 14:23, BrJohan wrote:
> For some genealogical purposes I consider using Python's re module.
>
> Rather many names can be spelled in a number of similar ways, and in
> order to match names even if they are spelled differently, I will build
> regular expressions, each of which is supposed to match  a number of
> similar names.
>
> I guess that there will be a few hundred such regular expressions
> covering most popular names.
>
> Now, my problem: Is there a way to decide whether any two - or more - of
> those regular expressions will match the same string?
>
> Or, stated a little differently:
>
> Can it, for a pair of regular expressions be decided whether at least
> one string matching both of those regular expressions, can be constructed?
>
> If it is possible to make such a decision, then how? Anyone aware of an
> algorithm for this?

Thank you all for valuable input and interesting thoughts.

After having reconsidered my problem, it might be better to approach it 
a little differently.

Either to state the regexps simply like:
"(Kristina)|(Christina)|(Cristine)|(Kristine)"
instead of "((K|(Ch))ristina)|([CK]ristine)"

Or to put the namevariants in some sequence of sets having elements like:
("Kristina", "Christina", "Cristine", "Kristine")
Matching is then just applying the 'in' operator.

I see two distinct advantages.
1. Readability and maintainability
2. Any namevariant occurring in just one regexp or set means no risk of 
erroneous matching.

Comments?

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Thread

Python's re module and genealogy problem BrJohan <brjohan@gmail.com> - 2014-06-11 14:23 +0200
  Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2014-06-11 14:26 +0100
    Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-06-11 09:08 -0500
  Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Thomas Rachel <nutznetz-0c1b6768-bfa9-48d5-a470-7603bd3aa915@spamschutz.glglgl.de> - 2014-06-11 15:55 +0200
  Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2014-06-11 09:34 -0600
  Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Nick Cash <nick.cash@npcinternational.com> - 2014-06-11 16:21 +0000
  Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Simon Ward <simon@bleah.co.uk> - 2014-06-11 18:21 +0100
  Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Vlastimil Brom <vlastimil.brom@gmail.com> - 2014-06-11 20:09 +0200
  Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem BrJohan <brjohan@gmail.com> - 2014-06-13 17:17 +0200
    Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Peter Otten <__peter__@web.de> - 2014-06-13 18:26 +0200
    Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Dan Sommers <dan@tombstonezero.net> - 2014-06-14 05:14 +0000
  Re: Python's re module and genealogy problem Tony the Tiger <tony@tiger.invalid> - 2014-06-14 08:35 +0000

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