What are the advantages and disadvantages of using regular expressions for browser detection in PHP?

When detecting browsers in PHP, using regular expressions can be a powerful tool to accurately identify user agents. However, regular expressions can be complex and difficult to maintain, especially as browser user agent strings evolve over time. It's important to strike a balance between accuracy and simplicity when using regular expressions for browser detection in PHP. 

$user_agent = $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'];

if (preg_match('/MSIE/i', $user_agent)) {
    echo "Internet Explorer";
} elseif (preg_match('/Firefox/i', $user_agent)) {
    echo "Firefox";
} elseif (preg_match('/Chrome/i', $user_agent)) {
    echo "Chrome";
} elseif (preg_match('/Safari/i', $user_agent)) {
    echo "Safari";
} else {
    echo "Other";
}

Keywords

regular expressions browser detection advantages disadvantages PHP technical keywords

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