I think you are approaching this the wrong way around.
  1. Ask yourself "what is the reasonable range of expected data?" (-A <= data <= B).
  2. Now set your lower limit at 2*A and your upper limit at 2*B
  3. Validate your data by asking two questions: 1) is is less than my lower limit? 2) Is it greater than my upper limit?
  4. If the answer to either of these questions is 'yes', drop the data point. (Personally, I'd log it as well for later review.)
Pattern Matching is a Useful Tool, just not a Universal Tool.

Update: Cleaned up the wording. (I hate it when I change metaphors in mid stream.)

----
I Go Back to Sleep, Now.

OGB

In reply to Re: Regex to check for very large negative numbers by Old_Gray_Bear
in thread Regex to check for very large negative numbers by cspctec

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