[Tutor] Simple text transform with an RE

[alan.gauld@bt.com]

> I need to learn more about regular expressions. A quick answer to this
> should help...

I wrote an article on informIT.com about how to use them. It includes 
a few simple examples but nothing super complex. (Its basicaly 
the RE chapter in my book without the case study).

There's also a python program available somewhere that allows you 
to type in REs and test them. I think I have a copy somewhere if 
you need to I can probably dig it out....

Its called recon.py, heres the header:
#!/usr/bin/env python
# Regular expression test console
# By Brent Burley, 2001, erburley@ix.netcom.com
# This software is placed into the public domain

It's 15K long.

> Also needed...a link to RE examples. Its one thing to read 
> the syntax and quite another to gleam actual uses from them. 
> Real world examples really help and anything offered would 
> be greatly appreciated.

The O'Reilly book is the vbest place to go, the definitive 
guide to REs IMHO. Lots of real world examples including a massive 
one to test for a canonical RFC822 compliant email address!


Alan g.