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To: python-list@python.org
From: Neil Cerutti <neilc@norwich.edu>
Subject: Re: regex multiple patterns in order
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 16:04:43 +0000 (UTC)
Organization: Norwich University
References: <CAPV1RAAiD3qWqrAJYc4yb80CaHG4A9N4jz4aY_CsyJr_nAUx9Q@mail.gmail.com> <mailman.5748.1390216721.18130.python-list@python.org> <roy-C6EC2C.09525920012014@news.panix.com>
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On 2014-01-20, Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> wrote:
> In article
> <mailman.5748.1390216721.18130.python-list@python.org>, Ben
> Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> wrote:
>> Be aware that regex is not the solution to all parsing
>> problems; for many parsing problems it is an attractive but
>> inappropriate tool. You may need to construct a more specific
>> parser for your needs. Even if it's possible with regex, the
>> resulting pattern may be so complex that it's better to write
>> it out more explicitly.
>
> Oh, posh.
>
> You are correct; regex is not the solution to all parsing
> problems, but it is a powerful tool which people should be
> encouraged to learn.  For some problems, it is indeed the
> correct tool, and this seems like one of them.  Discouraging
> people from learning about regexes is an educational
> anti-pattern which I see distressingly often on this newsgroup.

I use regular expressions regularly, for example, when editing
text with gvim. But when I want to use them in Python I have to
contend with the re module. I've never become comfortable with
it.

-- 
Neil Cerutti