I can answer your question "book or web" in one word: "No".

Calm down - I'll explain what I mean.

Like you, when I started learning Perl for fun, I found the regex parts incomprehensible. I skimmed them, certain that they were for other people. Then I started on a project that was manipulating text - not a lot, but the skim had taught me enough to know that the old Basic tools weren't as good as what Perl had. This is when I started learning about regexes, as opposed to reading about them. I had an application for them, not merely the contrived (and apparently pointless) examples that appeared in the books and on the web pages I read. Then I started having problems. The books told me enough to know that it was possible, but not how to do it. So I started preparing a SOPW. Cutting the code down to a minimum (always a good idea), I solved my own problem. This happened several times (it's, for me, a common occurrence in many areas), until I had solved all my problems and had working code.

To come back to my original "No", I disagree with your use of "or". I would strongly recommend "and" instead - books and web pages and usenet and perldocs and anything else you can think of. As RedElk wrote, only you can tell what works best for you. Me? I'm a bookworm, but I'll post SOPW questions here any time the books don't get me where I want to be. Your balance will probably be different from mine. You may prefer different books and web sites from me. But I'd strongly recommend some balance, and equally strongly not trying to do more than raise your own awareness until you have something you want or need to do with regexes.

Regards,

John Davies