Quoted text is from <[email protected]>, by Howard Parks <[email protected]>
>Chris's comments on the difficulty of debugging using regexes almost >makes sense. They tend to look like line noise at first, until you >learn them. However, the code necessary in their place, in any >language, must look even more intimidating and would present greater >challenges in debugging simply by being longer. In my opinion, the >advantages justify taking the time to learn the skill. If it was a case of a choice between code sections and regex expressions I would agree with you. Unfortunately our greatest use of pattern matching occurs in interpreted templates, which are user modifiable/maintainable. Use of regular expressions in them would require the user to be capable of formulating them, and first line help desk support to be similarly capable. We can achieve what we want with a less powerful, but less obscure, pattern matching approach. About fifteen years ago when we introduced the capability we tested the approaches with selected users. The responses to the regex-based alternative were, to put it mildly, negative. Regards Chris -- Chris Johnson mobile:+44 (0)7785 302122 Fax: +44 (0)870 0519 818 EDI website http://www.edimatrix.co.uk EDIMatrix Ltd work: 0845 126 0680 or +44 20 8778 1402 Registered in UK no. 2777624 Reg.Office: 34 Sydenham Rd, London SE26 5QF ------------------------------------ ... Please use the following Message Identifiers as your subject prefix: <SALES>, <JOBS>, <LIST>, <TECH>, <MISC>, <EVENT>, <OFF-TOPIC> Job postings are welcome, but for job postings or requests for work: <JOBS> IS REQUIRED in the subject line as a prefix.Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EDI-L/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EDI-L/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
