I usually reach for Ragel [1] for this kind of work. It has a very steep learning curve and is a bit more complex than a straight-up translation of a convention

I usually reach for Ragel [1] for this kind of work. It has a very steep learning curve and is a bit more complex than a straight-up translation of a conventional regular expression, but the state machine combination algebra is incredibly powerful and flexible. I've used the tool in numerous projects over the years. [1] http://www.colm.net/open-source/ragel/ http://www.colm.net/open-source/ragel/