[Info-vax] Unix and DCL shells

[Bob Eager]

On Wed, 10 Jan 2024 22:12:29 +0000, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

> On 10 Jan 2024 21:59:20 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:
> 
>> Perhaps 'overused' is a better term. I see a lot of instances where
>> they are simply not the right tool for the job. I use them where they
>> are appropriate.
> 
> The main thing to realize is that REs are a Chomsky Type 3 grammar. In
> simple terms, they cannot count arbitrarily-nested parentheses. Once you
> grasp this point, you will have a better idea when not to use them
> <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1732348/regex-match-open-tags-
except-xhtml-self-contained-tags/1732454#1732454>.

I know that. But many people don't.

(I taught compiler theory and practice for many years!)