Java Regular Expressions: Taming the java.util.regex Engine [Paperback]

Expert author Habibi offers a look at what regular expressions are and how to use the Java library to process them. His book uses plenty of examples to show typical and atypical uses of the library, thus becoming a powerful learning tool. For instance, comprehensive examples for each and every regex method and class are given, along with advice on their appropriate use and performance considerations.

Java has always been an excellent language for working with objects. But Java's text manipulation mechanisms have always been limited, compared to languages like AWK and Perl. On the flip side, a regular expressions package in Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) brings hope to the Java text mechanisms. This package provides you everything necessary to use regular expressions—all packaged in a simplified object-oriented framework.

In addition to working examples and best practices, this book features a detailed API reference with examples supporting nearly every method, and a step-by-step tutorial to create your own regular expressions. With time, you'll discover that regular expressions are extremely powerful in your programming arsenal—and you'll enjoy using them! And once you've mastered these tools, you'll wonder how you ever managed without them!

From the reviews:

At long last, a book devoted to regular expressions in Java. & author Mehran Habibi does a pretty good job & . lots of examples, with clear coding and an annotated explanation & . for those who want to get the most out of the regular expressions this is worth having around. & Having covered all of the core concepts and methods & . appendices provide some additional reference material, concluding with a set of common useful patterns. & the book does provide a very firm grounding & . (techbookreport.com, March, 2004)