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Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #38108

Re: regex replaceAll?

From Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk>
Newsgroups comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject Re: regex replaceAll?
Date 2018-03-02 13:00 -0500
Organization Aioe.org NNTP Server
Message-ID <p7c3fe$2qs$1@gioia.aioe.org> (permalink)
References (4 earlier) <8c677118-8115-409d-8d3b-396e54b063ae@googlegroups.com> <slrnp9gvpc.5mg.avl@logic.at> <p7a6n9$tal$1@news.albasani.net> <p7a72k$qqd$1@gioia.aioe.org> <p7a9ke$tal$2@news.albasani.net>

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On 3/1/2018 8:33 PM, Kiwi User wrote:
> On Thu, 01 Mar 2018 19:49:26 -0500, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>> On 3/1/2018 7:43 PM, Kiwi User wrote:
>>> Another way to test regexes may help: use an online regex test tool
>>> like this one:
>>>    
>>> http://www.regexplanet.com/advanced/java/index.html
>>>
>>> It helps because it:
>>> - tests an expression without you writing anything except the regex -
>>> lets you submit a set of test strings and run repeated tests against
>>>     them
>>> - has check boxes for making caseless comparisons, etc.
>>
>> Yes.
>>
>> But if the regex is so complicated/unreadable that it is not obvious
>> whether it works or not, then I would question whether regex is the
>> right choice.
>>
> Yes - but surely that should go without saying. Choosing the right tool
> for a job is an essential part of the programmer's trade.
> 
> The point I was trying to make wasn't specifically about the regex in
> question, but that there are often more convenient ways of testing and/or
> developing regexes than trying to do it in situ.

Yes. But my argument is that:
- the whole point of regex is that it is a compact and easy to read way
   to do some advanced text stuff
- if the regex is long and not easy to read then something else is
   probably more easy to read
- having to use tools to test if the regex does what one think it
   does seems to be a good indication that it is not easy to read

Sometimes regex can be combined with a break up in code.

Splitting string without regex and then use simple regex on some of the
parts or doing a high level split with simple regex and more detailed
split using code are sometimes good choices.

Arne

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Thread

regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-01 06:19 -0800
  Re: regex replaceAll? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@logic.at> - 2018-03-01 19:03 +0000
    Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-01 12:15 -0800
      Re: regex replaceAll? Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2018-03-01 21:51 +0100
        Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-01 13:36 -0800
          Re: regex replaceAll? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2018-03-01 16:59 -0500
      Re: regex replaceAll? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@logic.at> - 2018-03-01 21:55 +0000
        Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-01 14:00 -0800
          Re: regex replaceAll? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@logic.at> - 2018-03-01 22:31 +0000
            Re: regex replaceAll? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2018-03-01 17:52 -0500
              Re: regex replaceAll? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@logic.at> - 2018-03-02 00:14 +0000
            Re: regex replaceAll? Kiwi User <martin@mydomain.invalid> - 2018-03-02 00:43 +0000
              Re: regex replaceAll? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2018-03-01 19:49 -0500
                Re: regex replaceAll? Kiwi User <martin@mydomain.invalid> - 2018-03-02 01:33 +0000
                Re: regex replaceAll? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2018-03-02 13:00 -0500
                Re: regex replaceAll? Kiwi User <martin@mydomain.invalid> - 2018-03-03 20:07 +0000
            Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-02 05:40 -0800
              Re: regex replaceAll? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@logic.at> - 2018-03-02 17:46 +0000
                Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-02 10:38 -0800
                Re: regex replaceAll? Andreas Leitgeb <avl@logic.at> - 2018-03-02 20:15 +0000
                Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-02 12:43 -0800
                Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-02 12:58 -0800
                Re: regex replaceAll? Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2018-03-03 00:06 +0100
  Re: regex replaceAll? Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2018-03-01 20:29 +0100
    Re: regex replaceAll? Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2018-03-01 20:30 +0100
    Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-01 12:28 -0800
      Re: regex replaceAll? Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2018-03-01 21:40 +0100
    Re: regex replaceAll? Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2018-03-01 13:52 -0800
      Re: regex replaceAll? Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2018-03-02 02:25 +0100

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