A new buddy for you

Have you ever tried using regular expressions while programming but always wondered: "How can I try this without risking my code and still make sure it does what I want?" Have you created auxiliary programs to test regular expressions to avoid repeatedly compiling in your main project? Or maybe you heard about regular expressions and are just curious about how they work? If this describes you in any way, RegexBuddy will be your perfect buddy! And the best part is that you do not need any programming experience.

Nowadays, regular expressions (also known as regex) are a powerful tool for manipulating data and text; they are standard features in many programming languages and popular tools. However, it can sometimes be challenging to create or understand these patterns considering that their syntax can change depending on your programming language. With RegexBuddy, you can create regular expressions that match your needs, test them on sample files without risking your data and debug them in just a few steps. But not only that, but the tool will also help expand your understanding of regex written by others while also improving your regex!

How does your buddy operate?

This program is used for writing and debugging regular expressions. While typing your regex, the program builds a detailed English-language analysis, which is very convenient for understanding other people's regular expressions. This analysis helps you learn how your regex works and why it might not work in your code. You can copy-paste your regular expression, and the tool will tell you not only what regular expression you have to use but also let you step through it and run it through some test data. All in real-time. It will highlight all possible matches as you type!

RegexBuddy also includes a library with pre-created regular expressions on which you can rely. It consists of various tasks, all clearly described, which could help you achieve whatever you are attempting. In addition, you can build your library of regular expressions and use them whenever you desire, like your very own glossary of regex. Your excellent new Buddy also offers a built-in regex history, which allows users to compare the effects of different variations of a regular expression and work with more than one regex at a time.

Still, there is more!

As if that were not good enough, it includes a GREP panel (similar to the ones in Linux) that allows you to search (and even replace) through files, folders, and subfolders, meaning that you can test your regex on a large number of files!

The action of a regular expression can be checked immediately on the desired text fragment or file. After debugging, you can save the regular expression in C#, Delphi, Java, JavaScript, PCRE, Perl, PHP, Python, REALbasic, Ruby, VB6 & VB.NET, VBScript, and many other languages.

Your Buddy's Forum

Are you still not sure if you can create your regular expressions? Do not worry about it. RegexBuddy has a forum where you can submit your regex for feedback from other users, ask questions or see how others solved their issues. A forum is an excellent tool for exchanging ideas on implementing regular expressions with whatever application or programming language you use. So, if you get stuck, ask away, and someone will be there to help you!

The program runs on Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and 8. Unfortunately, for Linux and Apple users, it is still not available though, but it runs well on VMware, Parallels, and CrossOver Office.

Pros

• Expands regex syntax into something human-understandable;

• Compatible with several languages;

• The included library of regular expressions contains tons of practical, real-world examples;

• Real-time display of matches;

• Works as a regular expression builder and tool for learning regular expressions.

Cons

• It only runs on Windows.

THE Buddy

Considering all the features this program has to offer, there is only one logical conclusion that can be drawn: RegexBuddy is a powerful tool for making sure that the regular expressions you are writing do precisely what you need. It certainly makes life easier and helps you get your work done! So why don't you give it a try?