Regexp Over Multiple Lines

[Brandon Beck]

Yes, please see the python online documentation for the re module 
(http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/module-re.html) the section you 
specifically want is at 
(http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/node99.html).  You'll want to 
pass the VERBOSE flag to your compilation statement.

pattern = re.compile('''
            <first line>              # comment
            ...
            <last line>               # comment
''', re.VERBOSE);

Additionally you may want to check out the regular expression howto at 
sourceforge (http://py-howto.sourceforge.net/regex/regex.html).




Keith wrote:
> In Python can I have a regular expression that spans multiple lines...
> e.g. In Perl I may define a regular expression like:
> 
> $depends_def =   qr/
>          [\w_\.]+\s*:                     # simobject:
>          \s*
>          [\w_\.]+                         # job name
>          \(\s*(?:[\d]*)?\s*\)             # arg list for job (optional
> num)
>          \s+
>          depends\s+on                     # keywords "depends on"
>          \s+
>          (?:
>           [\w_\.]+\s*:                    # simobject:
>           \s*
>             (?:
>               [\w_\.]+                    # job name
>               \(\s*(?:[\d]*)?\s*\)        # arg list for job (optional
> num)
>               (?:
>                 (?:
>                  \s+
>                  and\s*[\w_\.]*\s*:       # "and simobject:"
>                  \s*
>                  [\w_]*                   # job name
>                  \(\s*(?:[\d]*)?\s*\)     # arg list for job (optional
> num)
>                 )+
>               )?                          # match optional "and" 1 or
> more times
>             )
>          )
>         /sx;
> 
> then later I can use that regular expression in another regular
> expression.
> 
> It helps to span multiple lines for commenting what the heck the ugly
> regular expression is trying to do...
> 
> BTW: I am investigating Python and have no knowledge of it.  Our Perl
> code has just gotten out-of-hand.
> 
> Thanks,
> Keith