Mastering Regular Expressions(3rd Edition)

Chapter 1, Introduction to Regular Expressions, is geared toward the complete novice. I introduce the concept of regular expressions using the widely available program egrep, and offer my perspective on how to think regular expressions, instilling a solid foundation for the advanced concepts in later chapters. Even readers with former experience would do well to skim this first chapter.
Chapter 2, Extended Introductory Examples, looks at real text processing in a programming language that has regular-expression support.

The additional examples provide a basis for the detailed discussions of later chapters, and show additional important thought processes behind crafting advanced regular expressions. To provide a feel for how to "speak in regular expressions," this chapter takes a problem requiring an advanced solution and shows ways to solve it using two unrelated regular-expression-wielding tools.
Chapter 3, Overview of Regular Expression Features and Flavors, provides an overview of the wide range of regular expressions commonly found in tools today. Due to their turbulent history, current commonly used regular expression flavors can differ greatly. This chapter also takes a look at a bit of the history and evolution of regular expressions and the programs that use them. Theend of this chapter also contains the "Guide to the Advanced Chapters."
Chapter 4, The Mechanics of Expression Processing, ratchets up the pace several notches and begins the central core of this book. It looks at the important inner workings of how regular expression engines really work from a practical point of view. Understanding the details of how a regular expression is used goes a very long way toward allowing you to master them.
Chapter 5, Crafting a Regular Expression, looks at the real-life ramifications of the regular-expression engine implemented in popular tools such as Perl, sed, grep, Tcl, Python, Expect, Emacs, and more. This chapter puts information detailed in Chapter 4 to use for exploiting an engine's strengths and stepping around its weaknesses.
Chapter 6, Tool-Specific Information, discusses tool-specific concerns, highlighting many of the characteristics that vary from implementation to implementation. As examples, awk, Tcl, and GNU Emacs are examined in more depth than in the general chapters.
Chapter 7, Perl Regular Expressions, closely examines regular expressions in Perl, arguably the most popular regular-expression-laden programming language ebooks in popular use today. There are only three operators related to regular expressions, but the myriad of options and special cases provides an extremely rich set of programming options—and pitfalls. The very richness that allows the programmer to move quickly from concept to program can be a minefield for the uninitiated.