One of my developers has started using RegexBuddy for help in interpreting legacy code, which is a usage I fully understand and support. What concerns me is using a regex tool for writing new code. I have actually discouraged its use for new code in my team. Two quotes come to mind:
Some people, when confronted with a problem, think ‘I know, I’ll use regular expressions.’ Now they have two problems. – Jamie Zawinski
And:
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it. – Brian Kernighan
My concerns are (respectively:)
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That the tool may make it possible to solve a problem using a complicated regular expression that really doesn’t need it. (See also this question).
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That my one developer, using regex tools, will start writing regular expressions which (even with comments) can’t be maintained by anyone who doesn’t have (and know how to use) regex tools.
Should I encourage or discourage the use of regex tools, specifically with regard to producing new code? Are my concerns justified? Or am I being paranoid?
Poor programming is rarely the fault of the tool. It is the fault of the developer not understanding the tool. To me, this is like saying a carpenter should not own a screwdriver because he might use a screw where a nail would have been more appropriate.