Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!gegeweb.org!de-l.enfer-du-nord.net!feeder1.enfer-du-nord.net!newsfeed.straub-nv.de!noris.net!newsfeed.arcor.de!newsspool2.arcor-online.net!news.arcor.de.POSTED!not-for-mail Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Message-ID: <1780410.D2KPVSPYKU@PointedEars.de> From: Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn Reply-To: Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn Organization: PointedEars Software (PES) Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:59:48 +0100 User-Agent: KNode/4.4.11 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8Bit Subject: Re: preg_match() oddities and question Newsgroups: comp.lang.php References: <1670168.aK4W3vaeNJ@PointedEars.de> <3004614.SPkdTlGXAF@PointedEars.de> Followup-To: comp.lang.php MIME-Version: 1.0 Lines: 38 NNTP-Posting-Date: 23 Nov 2011 01:59:50 CET NNTP-Posting-Host: 29a9bf25.newsspool3.arcor-online.net X-Trace: DXC=CZ9e9UoK`R[=>bdbdS?M0YMcF=Q^Z^V3X4Fo<]lROoRQ8kF On Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:30:45 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote: >> Quite right. Is worse than you can possibly iagine at leats here in te >> UK, where addresses can be as little as 2 lines long or up to 6.. >> >> So >> >> 10 Wonkers place, LONDON EC3 7QY is a typical TOWN address >> >> Out in the sticks you might get >> >> Apartment 4b, the Old Town House, Shire Lane, Recketts Green, Nr >> Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL13 6AH >> >> >> And if that comes at you without commas, god help you. >> >> I have spent DAYS taking name/address fields and parsing them *manually* >> into structured tables... > > It is at this point that most people that have an actual need to solve > these kinds of problems turn to the available commercial software and > decide to solve it with money instead of manpower. Where the question must be allowed: How came that the data has not been requested and stored in a structured form to begin with? That is, for example, why only an address field in a form – why not a street, house number aso. field? ISTM that we are seeing here an example of a mistake made at the beginning which overall cost naturally grows larger and larger as the project is nearing completion. PointedEars -- Danny Goodman's books are out of date and teach practices that are positively harmful for cross-browser scripting. -- Richard Cornford, cljs, (2004)