Regular expressions

A regular expression is an encoded way of representing a pattern in text and is a go-to tool for text processing. Regular expressions are an important part of the automated extraction of information from websites.

If you’re not familiar with regular expressions, learning to use them can be a little intimidating, but the rewards are well worth it.

You can find general how-to's and uses for regular expression in this help, but there are plenty of resources out there to help you get more information.

Printed resources

Introducing Regular Expressions
http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920012337.do

Beginning Regular Expressions
http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780764574894.do

Digital resources

regular-expressions.info

The Best of Fluent: Regular Expressions Explained: Demystifying Regular Expressions
http://www.oreilly.com/pub/e/2597

Fun with Regular Expressions
http://archive.oreilly.com/oreillyschool/courses/asac4/asac411.html