From: Hugh Sasse Staff Elec Eng <hgs@...>
Date: 2003-12-04T01:23:57+09:00
Subject: Re: Some Regexp

On Thu, 4 Dec 2003, ts wrote:

> >>>>> "H" == Hugh Sasse Staff Elec Eng <hgs@dmu.ac.uk> writes:
>
> H> String constants are probably the most common case.  They are the
> H> frequently-asked-for case: for C comment blocks, bounded by /* and
> H> */, from faqs about regexps that I have seen.  (I don't think nesting
> H> is actually respected in C comment blocks, but that's another story.)
>
>  not really agree with you : you generally want to parse (), [], <> more
>  often than string constant.

I may be wrong about the frequecy, but that one comes up in more
than one regexp faq, IIRC.
>
> H> I think it would be really useful to have this, even restricted to
> H> string constants.  If I put this up as an RCR would there be
> H> support, or have I overlooked somthing else? :-)
>
>  Probably I'm wrong but I think that their use will be very limited, and if
>  you introduce this feature someone after will try to parse HTML or XML
>  with it and a regexp is not adapted for this.

Sometimes an imperfect solution is better than none. To borrow
(abuse?) Andy Hunt's carpentry metaphor, sometimes something nailed
together will serve better now than a beautiful piece of joinery
will if it is later.  This could be a case where "worse is better"
sometimes.
>
>
> Guy Decoux
>

        Hugh