What are the advantages and disadvantages of using preg_match_all compared to explode in PHP for parsing textarea data?

When parsing textarea data in PHP, using preg_match_all allows for more flexibility and control over the parsing process compared to explode. preg_match_all can be used to match patterns within the textarea data, making it easier to extract specific information. However, preg_match_all requires knowledge of regular expressions and can be more complex to use compared to explode, which simply splits the data based on a delimiter.

// Example of using preg_match_all to parse textarea data
$text = $_POST['textarea_data']; // Assuming textarea data is submitted via POST

// Define a regular expression pattern to match specific data within the textarea
$pattern = '/[A-Za-z]+/';

// Use preg_match_all to extract all words from the textarea data
preg_match_all($pattern, $text, $matches);

// Output the extracted words
print_r($matches[0]);