You end up embedding what is in effect a recursive descent parser in your pattern. This can be done, but it is annoying to pull out the pieces of the parse and has poor failure recovery.

but in my case, as in many, I don't need to parse arbitrary HTML. I just had to find a string and grab something from it. my solution was perfectly fine; I was just looking for something less contrived.

@JohanLarsson wagwan?

@Jez make the star yellow and become a reg lurker

People use patterns to hack at HTML all the time in their text editors.

@GeorgeCapote Yes, for subsets of html where the input is constrained you should have no problem using regex.

And nobody is going utterly batshit over that.

well, someone is.

@MattЭллен Good times, Reed knows all things. Room is too quiet most of the time though.

cool

Then that person suffers from a lack of understanding, a lack of measured response, or both.

@tchrist The problem is that people are also trying to use simple regexes to parse complex html and not understanding why they are failing. Hence the rants.

I miss streetcars.

@Cerb abandoning ahk?

they really make it nice.

@JohanLarsson Haha, what? Why?

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Then those people should not be using regexes for anything, because they are either too stupid or too undereducated.

@Cerberus I was just surprised to see you in F# :)

@tchrist Well, yeah. So hence the rule. Don't parse HTML with Regex. Once you learn why the rule is false, you are trusted with breaking it.

@JohanLarsson It’s an annoying key.

@GeorgeCapote Hmm you lack streetcars? We only have them in a handful of cities, nowadays. The largest ones. I don't know why the lines were scrapped everywhere else.

@JohanLarsson Ohh I accidentally clicked your link.

@tchrist Everybody starts out undereducated.

@tchrist So, as you see, we are currently a little bit flooded.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 What child was ever encouraged by the advice to do as I say not as I do?

The rain, never the sea.

@JohanLarsson It is rather an annoying key.

@tchrist :)

@Cerberus I used to live in Zürich. Best time. Now back in the US where we have no infrastructure or anything nice.

only if it uses gas, then we have it. but it's still not particularly useful.

@Cerberus np, it is an honor to have you in the room.

@GeorgeCapote You cannot compare Zürich with an entire nation.

@GeorgeCapote Hmm I could have sworn you had trams in...New Orleans?

In this village, the rain is actually a bit of a problem.

I was comparing western Europe to an entire nation. @tchrist. I just like it more.

@tchrist Well. Lots of children. Sure, it doesn't always work. But, eg, "Don't touch the power saw" is a good rule for a kid to learn. If the kid posts on diy.se "How do I use my dad's power saw", shouldn't she be told "Don't touch the power saw"? She can learn how to use the saw when she's, eg, strong enough to hold it.

and yeah, sure, we also have trams in Seattle, Philadelphia, and SF. still sucks though.

@GeorgeCapote You like which more?

I want to move back to Switzerland. I was much happier there.

Hmm why?

Surely not because of the trams...

partly because of the transport infrastructure. I am quite passionate about it.

Ah OK.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Neither are they apt to be happy with “Because I said so, and I’m smarter than you, so just do what I told you.”

Public transportation is very nice indeed.

but also just because I am utterly frustrated by the US in so many ways that the EU/CH/other places solve for me.

Like which? In many ways, we're much alike...

@GeorgeCapote Most of the country is not a paveyard.

petty crap like religion being imbibed in politics, lack of public services of any sort, a crappy mentality by most people. sure, there are great cities. I think Chicago is the best city on earth (I'm from there) but I just... can't explain it. it's more miserable for me here.

I have never been to the New World, so I can't compare.

I was reading about how they were going to develop a high speed rail in Texas, and some lobbyists from Southwest Airlines claimed it would be dangerous for the children, so even though the public wanted it it was scrapped.

that's bullshit to me. I don't think that would happen in many western European places.

@tchrist Still. If my daughter asks me: "How do I parse HTML with a regex?" I will tell her "Don't." and if she asks why, I'll say "Because it's more or less impossible to parse arbitrary html with a useful regex." And then if she says "But I see other people doing it," I'll say "Other people don't always know what they're doing." and if she says "But I don't have arbitrary html, just a small subset whose form is limited", then she probably already knows the answer and wouldn't be asking me.

Haha, lobbyists from an airline?? That is almost like something from a comedy show.

@GeorgeCapote “Lack of public services of any sort”? What are you talking about it?

@GeorgeCapote It is true that we have less lobbying here in most places, possibly partly because of your winner-take-all districts.

if I have children in the future, I don't want to rely on my employer for them being health insured, and taken care of in the event of something bad happening.

@tchrist In Europe food is free.

You get it right off the street.

Literally.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Treating people like children will seldom endear them to you.

I'm not claiming it's horrible here, @tchrist. I just like it more there.

@Mitch Well, not just anyone can get benefits.

I'm oppressed. Can I get benefits now?

also, nobody here seems to be concerned about my health. the EU has banned lots of things I see as absurd to allow in food.

@GeorgeCapote The free ponies and free automatic weapons are certainly a bonus.

@Mitch the benefits of being oppressed, yes.

Ponies.

That's where the free food comes from.

@Mitch Here you are oblige to apply for jobs if you are on the dole, or you will get less.

@tchrist My point is that people who ask how to use a regex to parse html almost invariably don't understand why they might not want to do that. Those that understand it's okay almost never need regex help.

@MattЭллен Helps losing weight?

@GeorgeCapote La vie en rouge.

@GeorgeCapote Hmm like which?

@Mitch yes and sleep!

it's too individualistic, I guess is a good summary.

@Cerberus I think that is the case here as well.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 People who need regex help are in general helpless people.

@Mitch Right.

@Cerberus I don't need to provide an example. we have a terribly obvious obesity problem, and other food-related health issues.

@tchrist and thus not in the class of people who can parse arbitrary html with a regex.

hence the rule.

anyway, like I said, I'm not hating on anything. I just pointed out that I miss living in Europe.

@MattЭллен I've heard that less sleep causes weight gain. So you have to balance it out. Talk to your doctor before starting on your oppressed diet.

The rule should be “You’re not smart enough to figure this out.”

Because that at least would be honest.

@GeorgeCapote I still wonder why there are so many fat people in America and, to a lesser degree, in England. What makes those places special?

@GeorgeCapote You could try Canada. It's like half-and-half US/EU

@Mitch I've heard that oppressed people should shut up

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Right, Canada seems fairly nice. Coeur de Pirate!

@tchrist The rule should include the word "arbitrary" to qualify html.

@Cerberus The corn syrup advisory board.

lack of control over what goes in the food @Cerberus

@Cerberus Coeur de Pirate?

UK and US have no regulation

Also everything fried to make passably edible.

@GeorgeCapote But England has all the European regulations!

thank you @mitch, I almost forgot about how much I utterly hate corn.

corn is a great plant, but the Americans have killed it.

@GeorgeCapote That’s a rather idiotic statement. Want me to list them? Send me a PO.

@GeorgeCapote Besides, the reason why people get fat is not that certain substances are allowed to be in the food that are forbidden elsewhere. It's just fat and sugar.

it's hyperbole

@GeorgeCapote Whoa. Now you’re stooped to Those people. That’s low.

@Mitch Haha yay! The mightiest lobbying organ of Canada?

@GeorgeCapote incontinent intake.

Plus you seem to misunderstand the difference between the first and third persons plural, let alone the second.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 1/2 and 1/2 is really whole milk with cream added. so really halfway between whole milk and cream. So let's say 20% fat. I mean 80% fat free.

I know I'm not making qualified and reasonable statements @tchrist.

you are correct in calling any of these statements idiotic.

I suggest you see a counsellor.

@Mitch compared to the US, we are 80% fat-free.

I've seen them all.

I believe Commander Troy is available.

I just don’t agree with her promotion.

@GeorgeCapote OMG I have too much hyperbole in my diet, I'll get diabetes!

@Cerberus Don't you read the news? It was in X-files.

there's got to be some reason that Americans get so much more fat. I think corn syrup may be one of them. I know it's not a matter of regulation, but we do pay farmers to output a stupid amount of it.

@tchrist it's the inclusive 'we'.

But...Europe pays farmers lots of money to produce butter, wheat, etc....

@GeorgeCapote I think corn likes you though. That must make parties awkward.

I think it's the optics.

Both economic blocks have terrible policies with respect to agricultural subsidies.

Europe keeps its fat people behind a prism.

Haha.

No, there has to be some reason.

@Mitch It’s all these corn partels ruling over our carefully steered desires.

in any case, obviously I cannot make an objective point as to why any reasonable western place is better than another. this isn't such a brilliant point.

Just wait. Europe will catch up in obesity rates. (F and G not that far behind).

I don't think so?

Oops! holy crap...no fair bringing facts into this conversation.

Look how Russia has fattened.

Wow, how does Egypt do it?

This entire conversation is easily apprehended as picking on overweight people, which is going to make them feel very unhappy and hateful.

First body fat, now the Crimea; what's next?

People are so mean and thoughtless about Crimea.

Apprehension may not suffice; actual arrest may be called for.

I mean the Crimea. (and I mean it to sting)

China has fattened, too. But the Near East is doing better. War?

@tchrist easy to catch, but the cuffs don't fit.

@Mitch You mean the Ukrainian The Crimea, or the Crimean The Ukraine?

@Cerberus What near East? The Maghreb?

@Mitch Ohio.

That, too, but the Near East is mainly Syria, Jordan, Arabia.

That’s a very orientalist perspective, now isn’t it just?

So what?

Tsk.

@tchrist I always thought it was funny how people called Ohio the part of the midwest. It's more like the near west or the west most part of center east.

Because it will incite the orientals to jihad you.

Nonensense.

There is nothing wrong with the terms East and West.

@Cerberus But they're orange.

Also near red in the map.

Sure there is.

You should only use them when there’s no risk of occidentally offending anyone’s great-aunt Mbtitl.

I bet you're a northernhemispherist

spits

@Mitch Perhaps the improvement is only slight, I don't know.

what on earth is obesity risk

@tchrist How long have you known me? Do I care about "offending" PC people, or do I recognise that as a meaningful word at all?

@Mitch Just wait: the poles are about to flip.

@GeorgeCapote Yeah, no idea.

I'm hella at risk for obesity.

@GeorgeCapote Sounds like My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

I absolutely love food.

speaking of which... I have to decide in which parking lot to go get lunch today.

And I love gorging on unhealthy food.

Lunch in a parking lot?

@tchrist Seriously? My phone's map direction thingy should take of that automatically right? as long as satellites don't fall out of the sky.

@Cerberus How many miles do you car a day, and how often do you use the drive-through?

You know very well that I do not own a car.

Well, then you shouldn’t talk about people who do.

And if we have drive-throughs, I have never seen one.

here where I am now we go to various parking lots with chipotles and applebees in them to get food.

I'd love to eat several hamburgers a day. And crisps, at least one bag.

@GeorgeCapote You're hecka at risk, dude. This is Cache Valley, Utah, or Park Slope or somehting.

Make mine apple.

it's a network of parking lots.

Or strawberry rhubarb even.

@Mitch Now you’re just hectoring him.

Unless that’s actually some Satanic allusion to Hecate.

Which is probably the case, the more I think about it.

@Cerberus Self-reported? I don't care what peoples opinions are. I bet 50% Americans think they're obese given the dermatology-industrial complex. So we're actually doing better than we think!

Haha.

Somehow I doubt that...

@Cerberus I would literaly die if I didn't have at least some every day.

Ha ha...hyperbole.

I trust the OECD's data.

I think Mitch is being more defensive than "hectoring"

which is just a guy's name but verbed

@Mitch I doubt that, too. You could survive a week without food.

Stop posting food pictures!! I'm supposed to lose fat.

I was trying to satisfy your perverse attraction to crisps by making you gaze at them.

@tchrist Paris the thought.

There, that’s apple crisp, strawberry-rhubarb crisp, and cherry crisp, the last two à la mode.

@Cerberus Damn you with your sneers statistics and double sneers facts.

@Cerberus We both doubled in the time period.

Wait. We're still the best ever at that! Yay, we won!

@tchrist You know very well what I mean by "crisps". I am not familiar with the admittedly crispy-looking things you post.

@Mitch It's sad, everyone in the West is becoming fatter!

@JohanLarsson Yeah, it sucks, doesn't it?

@Cerberus Don’t worry: I can help you. If you send me your postal address, I shall have a truckload delivered to you.

indeed

@tchrist Really?

Are they good?

(he's going to send you crime instead I bet)

You will never come up of your flat until you finish them.

Haha, send me crime?

Where will the load be stored?

@Cerberus I couldn't. I'd go mad! Mad I say! I'd also be bored out of my min. Half of life is looking forward to the next meal. The other half is...

@Cerberus Inside.

Cherry crisp recipe.

@Mitch It takes more than a week to die from boredom.

If crime is some new argot for really good desserts, then count me in.

@tchrist That's going to be be inconvenient!

Strawberry-rhubarb crisp recipe.

Apple crisp recipe.

@Cerberus starts now

@tchrist So it is like crumbles, as in an apple crumble?

stops

Gah! I couldn't do it.

Was that all your boredom?

Yeah.

@Cerberus Same diff.

I know, not much stamina for that. I can hold my breath for longer.

Peach crisp recipe‌​.

!!afk holding breath (it's hard to do both at the same time)

And you don't just call it "crumble"?

Apple spongecake is nice > crisp imo.

Because the answer to “How do you make an apple crumble?” is “Stop supporting Microsoft Word.”

@Cerberus That’s kinda foreign. People wouldn’t likely understand “a crumble” here.

But can you get an apple that is not chewed on?

@JohanLarsson Yes, I have them perpetually falling on my front deck right now. There does appear to be vermiform gnawing, though.

treat them with pesticides.

@tchrist I see. But do they still say "apple crumble"?

> Porn sites blocked on free Wifi in Dutch trains

I've found 'apple crumbles' to be too literal in my experience.

difficult to eat.

Luckily, this is illegal. The railway company is risking a fine!

@Cerberus Nope.

So "apple crisp"?

@Cerberus That’s nonsense.

@Cerberus Certainly.

@Cerberus that sounds like the kind of stupid political squabble I really like

Nope, we have net neutrality! You cannot block sites other than for really good capacity reasons.

If they broadcast porn to children, this is going to get them thrown in jail, not fined.

it's a matter of parenting if children are watching porn or not.

Internet providers cannot tell whom they are showing what, and nobody cares.

Fortunately, you have to be 25 to pass your internet driving licence in Holland, so this never arises.

Kids no doubt watch porn on the train. Who cares? We all did.

@Cerberus You would be excoriated for showing such things in most of the civilized world.

@Cerberus What do you mean “we”, White Man?

this is another thing common in the US that I don't think is common elsewhere. they blame other entities and governments for idiot parenting.

on a really large scale.

@tchrist You might have noticed that your Internets, too, contain porn, and that Mr Internet Provider cannot tell who's watching what. Unless it is controlling your camera?

@Cerberus How would I know?

@tchrist Just kids, in primary school and later. They watch porn, have dirty magazines, etc.

does your telescreen have a power switch?

@Cerberus A race of sybarites, how quaint!

@GeorgeCapote That is, alas, a broader trend throughout the Western world. But it is perhaps most pronounced in the Anglo-Saxon world, with all their porn laws and stuff.

@tchrist I'm sure your classmates did so, too!

I can use curse words at you too, and I shall.

ah, damn.

@GeorgeCapote Haha, exactly.

@Cerberus You are so on drugs it is no longer funny.

well, wrong on that too. I guess just the streetcars then.

I really like streetcars.

they're so nice sounding! ding ding.

@tchrist I have no idea what your point is.

makes me smile.

@Cerberus I promise you, 100.00000000000000000000000000000% that my schoolmates never watched internet porn on a train.

@GeorgeCapote Now you sound like an elderly man.

show of hands for those who think "How is his hamburger" has an interesting linguistic angle to it

@tchrist Of course, but in magazines, peep shows, etc.

@MattЭллен raises hand

@MattЭллен It’ll just get me flagged.

@MattЭллен hides hands

There is something quaint about it in the third person.

@Cerberus it's been said to me many times

Yay!

Perhaps you will mistake it for a victory sign, though, and so I shall be safe.

do we even have internet on trains?

we're kind of stone age man.

You probably do?

@GeorgeCapote It’s tough on the ethernet cable.

But ours sucks anyway. It's slow.

My 3G is usually faster on the train.

@Cerberus would you be prepared to write and interesting and thought provoking answer about it?

I'm sure we do, but who knows. there's probably a bounty on finding a train somewhere.

And of course the railways steal your data. Probably. Like all evil companies.

@MattЭллен Money, meet mouth.

@MattЭллен Umm I find it very, very difficult to write an answer unless the mood strikes me, which is unpredictable.

@tchrist quite :D

Why?

whistles

/me is there no action thing in here?

damn.

The reason why how is his hamburger is somewhat odd is probably contextual.

@Cerberus because I don't think it is remarkable, but there are a couple of people who do . But they don't seem to have any answer

wonders curiously why @George cannot figure it out

that would've been a great discovery.

@MattЭллен You didn't give us a question, just a sentence.

you're just italicizing shit

We are.

italicises line

@Cerberus It’s out of the ICU, so I think it will probably make it.

@tchrist I don't think that is relevant.

@GeorgeCapote I believe you have a use–mention error there.

You might be thrown to ELL