catastrophic backtracking

Questions

What does catastrophic backtracking mean?

An excessively large amount of backtracking that occurs with certain regular expressions, due to an exponentially large number of possible matching paths to check.

Where does catastrophic backtracking come from?

From catastrophic + backtracking.

How to pronounce catastrophic backtracking

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “catastrophic backtracking”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “catastrophic backtracking”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “catastrophic backtracking” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.