[Python-ideas] This seems like a wart to me...

skip at pobox.com skip at pobox.com
Fri Dec 12 16:18:31 CET 2008


    Carl> I have half-heartedly tried to learn regexps before, but always
    Carl> given up after reading about the basics.

Just out of curiosity, what editor do you use?  Reading and doing are two
different things.

    Carl> ... the famed saying of Jamie Zawinski ("Some people, when
    Carl> confronted with a problem, think 'I know, I'll use regular
    Carl> expressions.'  Now they have two problems.") is not highly
    Carl> motivating. :-D

Sure, but that addresses the topic of some peoples' desire to use regular
expressions to parse everything from LL1 grammars to the tea leaves in the
bottom of a cup.  If you use them in an environment where there is almost no
penalty for mistakes (incremental search) I think you will quickly gain an
understanding of the syntax.  Then your challenge will be not to fall into
Jamie's re tar pit. ;-)

Skip



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