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RegExr VS regular expressions 101

Compare RegExr VS regular expressions 101 and see what are their differences

RegExr logo RegExr

RegExr.com is an online tool to learn, build, and test Regular Expressions.

regular expressions 101 logo regular expressions 101

Extensive regex tester and debugger with highlighting for PHP, PCRE, Python and JavaScript.
  • RegExr Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-28
  • regular expressions 101 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-30

RegExr features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    RegExr offers an intuitive and visually appealing interface that makes it easy for users to write, test, and understand regular expressions.
  • Real-time Feedback
    Changes to the regular expression and input text are reflected immediately, allowing users to see the effects of their adjustments in real-time.
  • Built-in Cheatsheet
    RegExr includes a handy cheatsheet that provides quick access to common regex patterns and syntax, making it easier for users to learn and reference rules.
  • Community Examples
    Users can explore and share community-generated regex patterns, which can serve as valuable examples or starting points for creating their own regex.
  • Detailed Explanation
    Each part of the regex pattern can be hovered over to display detailed tooltips explaining its function, aiding in the understanding of complex expressions.
  • Cross-Platform Accessibility
    As a web-based tool, RegExr can be accessed from any modern browser without the need for installation, making it convenient to use on multiple devices.

Possible disadvantages of RegExr

  • Limited Offline Use
    Since RegExr is a web-based application, it requires an internet connection, limiting its utility for users who need to work offline.
  • Learning Curve
    While the tool is user-friendly, users still need to have a foundational understanding of regular expressions to use RegExr effectively.
  • Performance Issues
    For extremely large inputs or very complex regular expressions, the tool may experience performance lags or slowdowns.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    RegExr may lack some advanced features found in more specialized or professional regex tools, such as integration with development environments or extensive scripting capabilities.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Users inputting sensitive data need to be cautious, as the web-based nature of the tool could raise privacy or data security concerns.

regular expressions 101 features and specs

  • Interactive Learning
    Regex101 provides an interactive environment where users can test and learn regular expressions in real-time, making the learning process more engaging and practical.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The site offers extensive documentation and references for different regular expression flavors (PCRE, JavaScript, Python, and Golang), facilitating easy access to syntax and usage examples.
  • Error Highlighting
    Regex101 highlights errors in your regular expressions and provides explanations, which helps users quickly identify and correct mistakes.
  • Quick Reference
    A quick reference guide is available on the platform, which helps users look up common regular expression tokens and their meanings without leaving the page.
  • Saved Workspaces
    Users can save their regular expressions and test cases in workspaces, making it convenient to revisit and continue working on them at a later time.
  • Community Support
    The platform has community features wherein users can share their regular expressions and get feedback or suggestions from others.

Possible disadvantages of regular expressions 101

  • Limited to Browser
    Regex101 is a web-based tool, and its usage is restricted to browsers with internet access, limiting its offline availability and performance in a development environment.
  • User Interface Complexity
    For beginners, the user interface can be somewhat overwhelming due to the numerous options and features available, leading to a steeper learning curve.
  • Performance Limitations
    While sufficient for most use cases, Regex101 may struggle with very large datasets or extremely complex regular expressions, causing performance issues.
  • Dependency on External Product
    Relying on an external service means users are dependent on the platform's availability and continued maintenance, which can be a risk if the service goes down or changes significantly.
  • Potential Overreliance
    Frequent use of Regex101 for developing regular expressions may lead to an overreliance on the tool, potentially hindering the development of strong, intrinsic regex skills.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RegExr and regular expressions 101)
Programming Tools
52 52%
48% 48
Regular Expressions
47 47%
53% 53
Productivity
48 48%
52% 52
Development
58 58%
42% 42

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, regular expressions 101 should be more popular than RegExr. It has been mentiond 881 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

RegExr mentions (367)

  • The importance of the environment in Regex pattern matching
    However - here it becomes weird - when testing the original regex rule (the first one, without the \u00A0 part) on the same string in an interactive visualiser (https://regexr.com/ for instance), there is a match:. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Ask HN: How did you learn Regex?
    Learned regex in the 90's from the Perl documentation, or possibly one of the oreilly perl references. That was a time where printed language references were more convenient than searching the internet. Perl still includes a shell component for accessing it's documentation, that was invaluable in those ancient times. Perl's regex documentation is rather fantastic. `perldoc perlre` from your terminal. Or... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Ask HN: How did you learn Regex?
    I read a lot on https://www.regular-expressions.info and experimented on https://rubular.com since I was also learning Ruby at the time. https://regexr.com is another good tool that breaks down your regex and matches. One of the things I remember being difficult at the beginning was the subtle differences between implementations, like `^` meaning "beginning of line" in Ruby (and others) but meaning "beginning of... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Ask HN: How did you learn Regex?
    Mostly building things that needed complex RegEx, and debugging my regular expressions with https://regexr.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Form Validation In TypeScipt Projects Using Zod and React Hook Form
    For username: You are using the min() function to make sure the characters are not below three and, then the max() function checks that the characters are not beyond twenty-five. You also make use of Regex to make sure the username must contain only letters, numbers, and underscore. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
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regular expressions 101 mentions (881)

  • Regex Isn't Hard (2023)
    In practice, the first unpaired ] is treated as an ordinary character (at least according to https://regex101.com/) - which does nothing to make this regex fit for its intended purpose. I'm not sure whether this is according to spec. (I think it is, though that does not really matter compared to what the implementations actually do.) Characters which are sometimes special, depending on context, are one more thing... - Source: Hacker News / 12 days ago
  • Regex Isn't Hard (2023)
    > unreadable once written (to me anyway) https://regex101.com can explain your regex back to you. - Source: Hacker News / 12 days ago
  • Catching Trailing Spaces - A Superhero's Story!
    To try out our newfound regex, I will use the website called RegEx101. It's a superhero favourite, so you better bookmark it for later 🔖. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • How I accidentally wrote a simple Markdown editor
    Let's break it down a bit. You can use Regex101 to follow me. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • 22 Unique Developer Resources You Should Explore
    URL: https://regex101.com What it does: Test and debug regular expressions with instant explanations. Why it's great: Simplifies regex learning and ensures patterns work as intended. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing RegExr and regular expressions 101, you can also consider the following products

rubular - A ruby based regular expression editor

Expresso - The award-winning Expresso editor is equally suitable as a teaching tool for the beginning user of regular expressions or as a full-featured development environment for the experienced programmer with an extensive knowledge of regular expressions.

Regex Crossword - Welcome to the fantastic world of nerdy regex fun!

i Hate Regex - regex cheatsheet for the haters

RegEx Generator - RegEx Generator is a simple-to-use application that comes with the brilliance of intuitive regex and is also helping you out to test the regex.

RegexPlanet Ruby - RegexPlanet offers a free-to-use Regular Expression Test Page to help you check RegEx in Ruby free-of-cost.