You can't parse XML with regex. Let's do it anyways

You can't parse XML with regex. Let's do it anyways.

this scene came to me in a dream

Haruhi says... stuff1 #1

Content is a word of the enemy. Companies will say "content" instead of calling it artworks, writings, pieces, and such, as if all media is something interchangeable meant to fill a box. Referring to "art" as "content" nowadays is often pejorative. If I ever make a "CDN" (Content Delivery Network), I will call it an SDN instead. Sounds much comfier. Has to be some sort of record! Fortunately, this contradiction is far from being the last in this post. " "They didn't even get to the blogpostand they're already making a contradictory statement.Has to be some sort of record! Fortunately, this contradiction isfrom being the last in this post. "

Attempting to parse HTML with regular expressions is an infamous pitfall, and a great example of using the wrong tool for the job. It's generally accepted to be a bad idea, for a multitude of reasons.

Picture 1 - he keeps on going for like 3 more screens (Stack Overflow link)

There's this famous Stack Overflow answer about why you should never, ever do it. In fact, this answer got so popular that it was used like a copypasta in some circles. Every time I stumbled upon it, I would think how there's a lot of truth in it - but at the same time, I couldn't agree in full...

But... can't you, really?

Picture 2 - did you know that XML has a logo? I'm not joking, I only learnt today too

While I assume that all readers of this weblog have at least a vague understanding of XML, it's worth to recap for the sake of later arguments. Quoting the Wikipedia article on XML:

... continue reading