Для этого есть инструмент: YAPE :: Regex :: Explain
The regular expression:
(?-imsx:([0-9a-zA-Z\-]+(?:'[a-zA-Z0-9\-]+)*))
matches as follows:
NODE EXPLANATION
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(?-imsx: group, but do not capture (case-sensitive)
(with ^ and $ matching normally) (with . not
matching \n) (matching whitespace and #
normally):
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( group and capture to \1:
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[0-9a-zA-Z\-]+ any character of: '0' to '9', 'a' to
'z', 'A' to 'Z', '\-' (1 or more times
(matching the most amount possible))
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(?: group, but do not capture (0 or more
times (matching the most amount
possible)):
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' '\''
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[a-zA-Z0-9\-]+ any character of: 'a' to 'z', 'A' to
'Z', '0' to '9', '\-' (1 or more times
(matching the most amount possible))
----------------------------------------------------------------------
)* end of grouping
----------------------------------------------------------------------
) end of \1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
) end of grouping
----------------------------------------------------------------------