Group.regex.txt

# Matches groups in a regular expression
(?<!\\)\(                   # An open parenthesis
(?<HasOptions>\?)?   # Any group options are preceeded by a ? 
(?(HasOptions)(?:    # If we have options, figure out what they are:
    (?>              # It can be only one:
        (?:\<(?<GroupName>\w+)\>)     # a <GroupName>   
        | (?<Atomic>\>)               # An atomic expression atomic (>)
        | (?<NoCapture>\:)            # A non capturing expression (:)
        | (?<LookBehind>\<\=)         # A lookbehind (<=)
        | (?<NegativeLookBehind>\<\!) # A negative lookbehind (<!)
        | (?<LookAhead>\=)            # A lookahead (=)
        | (?<NegativeLookAhead>\!)    # A negative lookahead (!)
        | (?<If>\(                    # Last but not least, it can be an if, which is a nested expression
            (?>                          
                \\\(          # an escaped open parenthesis OR 
                | \\\)          # an escaped close parenthesis OR 
                | [^\(\)]+      # any number of non-parenthesis characters OR
                | \((?<Depth>)  # an open parenthesis (in which case increment depth) OR
                | \)(?<-Depth>) # a closed parenthesis (in which case decrement depth)
            )*(?(Depth)(?!))          # and thus has to use a balancing expression to match until depth is 0
            \)                        # don't forget the closing parenthesis!
        )
    )
))
(?<Pattern>         # Now we are in the pattern body.  
(?>                 # We just need to capture... 
      \\\(          # an escaped open parenthesis OR 
    | \\\)          # an escaped close parenthesis OR 
    | [^\(\)]+      # any number of non-parenthesis characters OR
    | \((?<Depth>)  # an open parenthesis (in which case increment depth) OR
    | \)(?<-Depth>) # a closed parenthesis (in which case decrement depth)
)*(?(Depth)(?!))    # until depth is 0.
)\)                 # then close out our <Pattern> group and and don't forget the closing parenthesis!