Regexp Over Multiple Lines
Keith
vetter at lincom-asg.com
Wed Sep 11 09:29:43 EDT 2002
vetter at lincom-asg.com (Keith) wrote in message news:<565e316f.0209040740.36573b56 at posting.google.com>...
> 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
After reading the links you guys suggested... it looks like the python
regular expressions are very powerful.
I am sure that this has been discussed... but in a nutshell can you
tell me where python lacks in power behind perl. If I go to rewrite
my Perl code, which has gotten really messy, in Python will I be
saying over and over again, "Man, I can't do =that= in Python!"
I am testing the waters before I dive in!
Take care,
Keith
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