function to remove multiline commentaries from C code

cut_commentaries.py

import re

strings_literals = re.compile(r'"(?:\\"|.)*?"')
commentaries = re.compile(r'/\*.*?\*/', re.DOTALL)
placeholder = '<{}>'

def cut_commentaries(s):
    strings = []
    def insert_placeholder(m):
        print(m.group(0))
        strings.append(m.group(0))
        return placeholder
    def replace_back(m):
        return strings.pop()

    updated = strings_literals.sub(insert_placeholder, s)
    strings.reverse()
    updated = re.sub(commentaries, '', updated)
    updated = re.sub(placeholder, replace_back, updated)
    return updated
    

if __name__ == '__main__':
    ex1 = """
    some "co\\"de":where /* sjdfljsf */ /*foobar*/ /*or
    not foobar */ and other "then"
    """
    print(cut_commentaries(ex1))