Meaning: Yukihiro Matsumoto, also known as Matz, is a computer scientist and the creator of the Ruby programming language. The quote provided highlights the significance of text processing in the daily lives of programmers and emphasizes the importance of tools such as the string class and regular expressions for effective text manipulation.

Text processing is a fundamental aspect of programming, as programmers frequently encounter and manipulate text strings in various applications. This can include tasks such as parsing input, manipulating data, generating output, and many other operations that involve working with textual information. As a result, having a strong understanding of text processing techniques and tools is essential for programmers to effectively work with and manipulate data in their applications.

The string class is a fundamental component in many programming languages, including Ruby, and provides a wide range of methods and functionalities for working with text strings. These methods allow programmers to perform operations such as concatenation, substitution, comparison, and manipulation of text data. By understanding and leveraging the capabilities of the string class, programmers can efficiently process and manipulate text data in their applications.

In addition to the string class, regular expressions play a crucial role in text processing. Regular expressions, often abbreviated as regex, are powerful tools for pattern matching and text manipulation. They allow programmers to define complex search patterns and perform sophisticated text manipulation operations with ease. Regular expressions are built into many programming languages, including Ruby, and provide a versatile and expressive way to work with text data.

Matsumoto's emphasis on working hard on text processing, particularly the string class and regular expressions, reflects the importance of these tools in the context of programming. By investing time and effort in mastering these aspects of text processing, programmers can enhance their ability to effectively work with and manipulate text data in their applications. This aligns with Matsumoto's overarching philosophy of creating programming languages that prioritize developer happiness and productivity.

Furthermore, Matsumoto's mention of regular expressions being built into the language and finely tuned for use underscores the significance of having robust and optimized tools for text processing within the programming language itself. This integration and optimization of regular expressions within the language framework can greatly benefit programmers, as it provides them with powerful and efficient tools for working with text data without the need for external libraries or dependencies.

In conclusion, the quote by Yukihiro Matsumoto highlights the essential role of text processing in the daily lives of programmers and emphasizes the significance of tools such as the string class and regular expressions for effective text manipulation. By understanding and mastering these aspects of text processing, programmers can enhance their ability to work with and manipulate text data, ultimately contributing to their overall productivity and the quality of their applications.