Author Topic: EXISTS - IDEA: Regular Expression Helper (Read 43249 times)

Scott · « **on:** July 17, 2005, 06:01 PM »

The idea is a simple wizard-type utility that creates regular expressions for you.

Maybe I didn't search enough for this yet, but I didn't see a freeware tool that does what I have in mind. I did find a utility called "RegExBuddy", but it's $30, and ... yeah, right, I might cough up $30 for this. FileLocator Pro also has a regex helper built in, but it's shareware. I've attached a screen shot of the wizard built into FileLocator Pro, to give a better idea of what I'm talking about. (Sorry if the image is huge on your screen.)

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2005, 06:03 PM »

The Regulator:

now open source -> http://regex.osherove.com/

Scott · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2005, 06:04 PM »

Thanks. Please kill this thread.

Scott · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2005, 06:04 PM »

Sorry

Scott · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2005, 06:12 PM »

It looks like The Regulator just helps test regexs, not write them...

mouser · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2005, 09:04 PM »

never satisfied..

ok try this other free one:
http://www.ultrapico.com/Expresso.htm

Scott · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2005, 09:40 PM »

never satisfied? dude, it just didn't seem to be what i needed. thanks.

mouser · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2005, 11:22 PM »

i was just kidding -
hey, let's be honest here,
the entire foundation of this site rests on the fact that none of us are satisfied with tools that are just good enough..
we are compelled to keep searching for the pefect tool...

Scott · « **Reply #8 on:** July 18, 2005, 02:13 PM »

Expresso seemed very similar to the other one. I guess I'll stick with FileLocator Pro (yep, I do have a license). I was actually thinking that other people might find this handy. Or maybe I'm the only dumbass too lazy to learn regex.

jpfx · « **Reply #9 on:** July 18, 2005, 05:51 PM »

I bought regex buddy http://www.regexbuddy.com/ but whatever problem I have with regex (perl specifically) I can also extend to figuring out how to get regex buddy to produce useful results. I always end up surfing for (and finding) the answer in groups/forums.
Now, if I spent more time (any time) actually organizing what I do write into code snippets then I really would save myself a lot of bother. I will have to try the 2 free ones listed, maybe one is as obscure as my thought processes.

Scott · « **Reply #10 on:** July 18, 2005, 05:54 PM »

What I had in mind was a simple, wizard-driven utility that does what FileLocator Pro offers--a really easy way to build regexs. None of the applications mentioned here do that. Or, if they do, they're certainly not as user friendly.

I don't see how this idea "exists". If I missed something, I'd love for someone to point it out to me.

mouser · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2005, 06:13 PM »

but whatever problem I have with regex (perl specifically) I can also extend to figuring out how to get regex buddy to produce useful results.

hahahahahaha

i hear ya.

mouser · « **Reply #12 on:** July 18, 2005, 06:16 PM »

it sure seems like from the pictures that expresso is designed to help you build regular expressions by assembling them from nice easy to use dialogs..

the EXISTS flag on the post was just meant to indicate that this probably isn't a coding snack; even if these particular programs aren't perfect, its probably too big a task for a coding snack anyway and there are surely more such apps out there waiting to be discovered.

but i can remove the EXISTS thing if you want, nothing is set in stone.

dajo · « **Reply #13 on:** July 27, 2005, 07:28 PM »

I use Regex Coach (free) to help me with tough regular expressions.
http://www.weitz.de/regex-coach/

The Regex Coach is a graphical application for Linux and Windows which can be used to experiment with (Perl-compatible) regular expressions interactively. It has the following features:

* It shows whether a regular expression matches a particular target string.
* It can also show which parts of the target string correspond to captured register groups or to arbitrary parts of the regular expression.
* It can "walk" through the target string one match at a time.
* It can simulate Perl's split and s/// (substitution) operators.
* It tries to describe the regular expression in plain English.
* It can show a graphical representation of the regular expression's parse tree.
* It can single-step through the matching process as performed by the regex engine.
* Everything happens in "real time", i.e. as soon as you make a change somewhere in the application all other parts are instantly updated.

mouser · « **Reply #14 on:** July 27, 2005, 09:06 PM »

that is awesome...
this is why you have to love this section

nice find.

ps. program is donationware and written in.. LISP(!)

Scott · « **Reply #15 on:** August 02, 2005, 07:43 PM »

But again, unless I'm missing something, Regex Coach doesn't help you create regexs; it just helps you test and pick apart existing reg expressions.

mouser · « **Reply #16 on:** August 02, 2005, 08:02 PM »

scott is there a shareware app that does what you want?
maybe if we see that we will be able to better locate a freeware tool.

Scott · « **Reply #17 on:** August 02, 2005, 08:05 PM »

Aside from the subcomponent of FileLocator Pro I show in the screen shot above, I don't know of one. But the screen shot shows how FLP lets you enter strings and select plain-English operations to build regexs from scratch

ewemoa · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2009, 07:27 AM »

I didn't locate any posts w/ the following, so FWIW:

http://kodos.sourceforge.net/about.html

Darwin · « **Reply #19 on:** March 22, 2009, 09:57 AM »

Just to note - AFAICT, FileLocator Pro 5 no longer features the regex builder... just a more mundane reg ex tester. Off hand, I can’t remember if version 4 retained the builder or not. Pity.

Deozaan · « **Reply #20 on:** March 22, 2009, 01:50 PM »

I guess that leaves Regex Buddy by JGSoft.

I haven't used it myself, and like the original post says, it's not free, but I've used other JGSoft applications and have been very happy with them.

Also, if you just want to test Regular Expressions, then fellow DC Member allen has a handy online utility called ReReplace.com.

ReReplace.com is a full-featured web based text search utility with full regular expressions support, advanced match highlighting and text replacement capabilities.
-http://www.rereplace.com/

By the way, it was Allen who told me about JGSoft and he uses Regex Buddy (and even links to it on rereplace.com).

Darwin · « **Reply #21 on:** March 22, 2009, 04:29 PM »

Heh, heh - I already have a licence for RegExBuddy, I was just updating the thread WRT FileLocator Pro. Of course, other grep utilities also have something like the RegEx builder that used to be a feature of FL Pro... I just can't offhand think which ones do, and which ones do not. I'll have to load them and report back. Right, off to do that now. Back in a tick.

Darwin · « **Reply #22 on:** March 22, 2009, 04:49 PM »

Ah... I was thinking of Advanced Find and Replace 4. However, the built-in Regular Expression Builder is not in the same league as the one that was included in FileLocator Pro 3 (and 4?), sadly.

EXISTS - IDEA: Regular Expression Helper

And of course, it's not freeware, either!

Darwin · « **Reply #23 on:** March 22, 2009, 04:53 PM »

Ach! I'm a dunderhead...

FileLocator Pro 5 STILL has the Expression Wizard - you have to select RegEx as an option and then click the Help button next to it to invoke the wizard:

EXISTS - IDEA: Regular Expression Helper

FileLocator Pro RegEx Wizard.png

PS one of the nice things about FileLocator Pro is that it comes in a 64 bit version

EDIT: added screenshot

mouser · « **Reply #24 on:** March 22, 2009, 05:29 PM »

File Locator Pro is an excellent program.. very nice inside-zip searching as well.
We ran a discount on it in the past -- we should try to get one again.