| Overview
Regular expressions are an extremely powerful tool for manipulating
text and data. They are now standard features in a wide range of
languages and popular tools, including Perl, Python, Ruby, Java,
VB.NET and C# (and any language using the .NET Framework), PHP, and
MySQL.
If you don't use regular expressions yet, you will discover in
this book a whole new world of mastery over your data. If you
already use them, you'll appreciate this book's unprecedented
detail and breadth of coverage. If you think you know all you need
to know about regular expressions, this book is a stunning
eye-opener. As this book shows, a command of regular expressions is an
invaluable skill. Regular expressions allow you to code complex and
subtle text processing that you never imagined could be automated.
Regular expressions can save you time and aggravation. They can be
used to craft elegant solutions to a wide range of problems. Once
you've mastered regular expressions, they'll become an invaluable
part of your toolkit. You will wonder how you ever got by without
them. Yet despite their wide availability, flexibility, and
unparalleled power, regular expressions are frequently
underutilized. Yet what is power in the hands of an expert can be
fraught with peril for the unwary. Mastering Regular
Expressions will help you navigate the minefield to becoming an
expert and help you optimize your use of regular expressions. Mastering Regular Expressions, Third Edition, now
includes a full chapter devoted to PHP and its powerful and
expressive suite of regular expression functions, in addition to
enhanced PHP coverage in the central "core" chapters. Furthermore,
this edition has been updated throughout to reflect advances in
other languages, including expanded in-depth coverage of Sun's
java.util.regex package, which has emerged as the standard
Java regex implementation.Topics include: A comparison of features among different versions of many
languages and tools How the regular expression engine works Optimization (major savings available here!) Matching just what you want, but not what you don't want Sections and chapters on individual languages
Written in the lucid, entertaining tone that makes a complex,
dry topic become crystal-clear to programmers, and sprinkled with
solutions to complex real-world problems, Mastering Regular
Expressions, Third Edition offers a wealth information that you
can put to immediate use. Reviews of this new edition and the second edition:
"There isn't a better (or more useful) book available on regular
expressions."
--Zak Greant, Managing Director, eZ Systems "A real tour-de-force of a book which not only covers the
mechanics of regexes in extraordinary detail but also talks about
efficiency and the use of regexes in Perl, Java, and .NET...If you
use regular expressions as part of your professional work (even if
you already have a good book on whatever language you're
programming in) I would strongly recommend this book to you."
--Dr. Chris Brown, Linux Format "The author does an outstanding job leading the reader from
regex novice to master. The book is extremely easy to read and
chock full of useful and relevant examples...Regular expressions
are valuable tools that every developer should have in their
toolbox. Mastering Regular Expressions is the definitive
guide to the subject, and an outstanding resource that belongs on
every programmer's bookshelf. Ten out of Ten Horseshoes."
--Jason Menard, Java Ranch
Editorial ReviewsProduct DescriptionRegular expressions are an extremely powerful tool for manipulating text and data. They are now standard features in a wide range of languages and popular tools, including Perl, Python, Ruby, Java, VB.NET and C# (and any language using the .NET Framework), PHP, and MySQL. If you don't use regular expressions yet, you will discover in this book a whole new world of mastery over your data. If you already use them, you'll appreciate this book's unprecedented detail and breadth of coverage. If you think you know all you need to know about regular expressions, this book is a stunning eye-opener. As this book shows, a command of regular expressions is an invaluable skill. Regular expressions allow you to code complex and subtle text processing that you never imagined could be automated. Regular expressions can save you time and aggravation. They can be used to craft elegant solutions to a wide range of problems. Once you've mastered regular expressions, they'll become an invaluable part of your toolkit. You will wonder how you ever got by without them. Yet despite their wide availability, flexibility, and unparalleled power, regular expressions are frequently underutilized. Yet what is power in the hands of an expert can be fraught with peril for the unwary. Mastering Regular Expressions will help you navigate the minefield to becoming an expert and help you optimize your use of regular expressions. Mastering Regular Expressions, Third Edition, now includes a full chapter devoted to PHP and its powerful and expressive suite of regular expression functions, in addition to enhanced PHP coverage in the central "core" chapters. Furthermore, this edition has been updated throughout to reflect advances in other languages, including expanded in-depth coverage of Sun's java.util.regex package, which has emerged as the standard Java regex implementation.Topics include: - A comparison of features among different versions of many languages and tools
- How the regular expression engine works
- Optimization (major savings available here!)
- Matching just what you want, but not what you don't want
- Sections and chapters on individual languages
Written in the lucid, entertaining tone that makes a complex, dry topic become crystal-clear to programmers, and sprinkled with solutions to complex real-world problems, Mastering Regular Expressions, Third Edition offers a wealth information that you can put to immediate use. Reviews of this new edition and the second edition:
"There isn't a better (or more useful) book available on regular expressions."
--Zak Greant, Managing Director, eZ Systems "A real tour-de-force of a book which not only covers the mechanics of regexes in extraordinary detail but also talks about efficiency and the use of regexes in Perl, Java, and .NET...If you use regular expressions as part of your professional work (even if you already have a good book on whatever language you're programming in) I would strongly recommend this book to you."
--Dr. Chris Brown, Linux Format "The author does an outstanding job leading the reader from regex novice to master. The book is extremely easy to read and chock full of useful and relevant examples...Regular expressions are valuable tools that every developer should have in their toolbox. Mastering Regular Expressions is the definitive guide to the subject, and an outstanding resource that belongs on every programmer's bookshelf. Ten out of Ten Horseshoes."
--Jason Menard, Java Ranch | Amazon.com ReviewRegular expressions are a central element of UNIX utilities like egrep and programming languages such as Perl. But whether you're a UNIX user or not, you can benefit from a better understanding of regular expressions since they work with applications ranging from validating data-entry fields to manipulating information in multimegabyte text files. Mastering Regular Expressions quickly covers the basics of regular-expression syntax, then delves into the mechanics of expression-processing, common pitfalls, performance issues, and implementation-specific differences. Written in an engaging style and sprinkled with solutions to complex real-world problems, Mastering Regular Expressions offers a wealth information that you can put to immediate use. |
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Reader Reviews From Amazon (Ranked by 'Helpfulness') Average Customer Rating: based on 132 reviews. take the fear out of regex, 2009-05-27 Reviewer rating: Very useful book, the first 6 chapters are general introduction to the tips and tricks of creating and using regexes which applies to all flavors and versions of regular expressions in different programming and scripting languages. The author has a good writing style which does not intimidate but is to the point and concise.
| \bGreat\sB(o)\1k\b, 2009-05-21 Reviewer rating: This is the standard textbook on Regular Expressions and for good reason. The third edition however covers the different shades of RegEx from many programming perspectives including {Egrep, Perl, PHP, Java, .NET}
A mix of humor coupled with real examples will get you to master status with RegEx in no time. I have read this book like 5 times and still use it a lot.
This book does for RegEx what Cormen's book does for Algorithms.
| This book is about 'Mastery,' not 'solving your problem right away'., 2009-05-18 Reviewer rating: Indispensable.
Friedl's 'Regular Expressions' is in-depth and thorough. It has provided me with the framework to become proficient in crafting efficient Regular Expressions as I need them, and that's just what the author intended.
It's not a cookbook to solve the problem you suspect might best be tackled with a 'regexp' expression (you know; the problem that made you think of looking at this book in the first place). But a perusal over a few nights -- not more than a week, though -- and you'll be able to work quickly and efficiently in whatever regexp-supporting environment you're in.
I never give more than four stars because nothing is ever perfect, but I'd be hard-pressed to imagine a better reference or learning aid than this book.
| Good Book, 2009-04-21 Reviewer rating: As with any review of a technical book, an understanding of the reviewer's previous experience with the topic is necessary. I had understanding of regular expressions on a basic level; I knew that .* matched everything, and a few other simple expressions. This book by O'Reilly starts on this basic level, and quickly advances towards more complicated expressions. All along, it uses numerous examples to not only illustrate the usefulness of each different tool, but also the pitfalls that each tool presents. Mastering Regular Expressions clears up common misconceptions and misguided thoughts with questions of ambiguous expressions, and in doing so allows you to craft regexes without running into constant roadblocks.
After going over the more semantic expressions, the book delves into a discussion of the underlying engines that drive regular expressions in a thorough and mostly clear way, which is an accomplishment considering the advanced language theory and esoteric formulas that are the basis behind regular expressions. While Friedl's explanations and examples are top notch, I believe that his strongest point is the pace at which he goes along. Whenever I was confused or questioning why something was a certain way, Friedl inevitably encouraged a reread of the previous section. He is distinctly aware of his readership and the subject he writes about, and is thus able to know exactly when the reader should go back over a section to make sure that they fully comprehend it. Freidl shows a clear mastery of regular expressions himself, and is able to highlight pros and cons of various methods and engines, what works and what does not. This thorough understanding of the subject combined with ability to succinctly and clearly teach it makes this book a must read for anyone interested in using regular expressions in any capacity. | Excellent Book, 2009-04-18 Reviewer rating: If you have decided to achieve the thorough knowledge of regular expressions, your search ends here. Get this book and read it. Believe me you don't need to take any course or pay high fees to extensions to learn RE.
I strongly recommend this book.
-Mohammad K.
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