No, that doesn't match "200 words"; you'd want \W+ not \W* for that. If you had at least 200 words then it will match rather quickly. Otherwise it can take a very long time backtracking and having \W* match zero-length bits in the middles of words trying to work back until it can match 200 partial words.

        - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")

In reply to (tye)Re: regexp hang? by tye
in thread regexp hang? by cxreg

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