Best learning path to master RegEx for JavaScript developers

This article is a compilation of best learning sources for Regular Expressions (RegEx) starting from beginners through intermediate till advanced level.

Beginner Level

Regular Expression (RegEx) tutorial

• Free YouTube tutorial consisting of 16 short videos.
• Gentle introduction in a convenient pace. For complicated topics like RegEx it’s imperative to have the introduction in such video tutorial format.
• A simple HTML form project using RegEx to validate emails, phone numbers and Username.
• In the end, we ll be able to write simple regular expressions and play with them on our own in Regex playground.

Intermediate Level

javascript.info/regular-expressions

• Free learning website with good intermediate level RegEx content.
• Bookmark this website for quick revision of RegEx syntax as it’s easy to forget unless practiced a lot.
• Provides lucid explanation on topics like Unicode flags, Greedy and Lazy quantifiers, Back-references, Look-Ahead and Look-Behind expressions.
• After covering the contents in this site we should be knowing most of the syntax. Moreover, lengthy expressions in StackOverflow wouldn’t scare us.

Advanced Level

In this level people are mostly Polyglots. They realize the Godly powers of Regular expressions and devote themselves in expanding their RegEx Arsenal. Here we know that RegEx is a language independent tool and try to utilize it wherever we can. Some helpful resources to maintain expert level are as follows-

Black Belt Program at Rexegg.com

• Free website, curating complex RegEx patterns and anti-patterns.
• Good place to hang out and add powerful expressions in our arsenal. Get insights on inner working of expressions for efficiency evaluations.

Book: Mastering Regular Expressions (O’Reilly)

• A comparison of features among different versions of many languages and tools
• How the regular expression engine works
• Optimization
• Sprinkled with solutions to complex real-world problems

Regex Buddy: Paid Desktop software to work with RegEx

• You will often see this licensed software installed in the machines of professional developers.
• I have seen master craftsmen creating RegEx wonders using this tool. I cannot emphasize enough on the fact that how insightful it is watching experts tackling real life problems (like text search, manipulation on large scale) by meticulously crafted RegEx expressions. Watching experts use RegEx can rapidly accelerate your learning. In software industry this can be considered as a “Golden peek into the trade secret of a master craftsman”.
• Although today we have free online alternatives for good old Regex Buddy but the same company offers this tool called PowerGREP which has no competing alternative and loved by its users.

Disclaimer: I do not have any affiliations or connections with any of these linked resources. I am sharing them because I felt they were well organized and helpful contents/tools on learning Regular Expressions based on my personal experience.