How Can I Improve My Regex for Matching Floats?

Your regex is quite readable! Another pattern could be `^-?d*(d.|.d)d*$`, which still adheres to the float definition with some flexibility.

Instead of using regex, you might consider directly converting the string to a float and handling any exceptions that arise. This way, you can cover edge cases without complex patterns. In some languages, there's a `TryParse()` method available, which can avoid exceptions entirely by returning a boolean to indicate success or failure, along with the result if successful. This might be a cleaner approach for data cleaning before passing to another system.

You've got a solid start, but to fully meet your needs, keep in mind that a float can start with a `+`, and it may also include exponential notation, such as `+1.21E-6`. Some programming languages will also consider integers like `10` as valid floats, even though they lack a decimal point.

Just a heads-up, your regex will match cases like `005.12`, which is technically correct but not how most people format floats. It might also accept something like `2.`, which is unusual and could indicate a data entry error.

Your regex isn't bad! Just remember that regex varieties can differ, and there are many ways to define what a float is. For example, your initial regex won't match scientific notation like `1.3e3` or `1.3e-3`. You might want to keep that in mind depending on your requirements.