Possible RCR: would anyone else find this a useful addition to the core
class String
def to_rx
Regexp.new( Regexp.escape(self) )
end
end
as a more straightforward & readable alternative to interpolation:
/#{Regexp.escape(a_string)}/
I turned up a few references to this sort of thing in ruby code on the
web.
alex
Yes, I agree. In Facets, its more like:
class String
def to_re( esc=true )
Regexp.new( esc ? Regexp.escape(self) : self )
end
end
T.
I disagree that either #to_re or #to_rx would be a good name for this
construct. I think that it would be better to have a method on Regexp
itself (a new, alternative constructor) that does this. Maybe:
Regexp.compile_escaped(str)
I don’t think I’ve actually ever seen Regexp.compile used, so maybe it
can be repurposed in 1.9 to do this.
FWIW, I don’t tend to use the construct that Alex did – I tend to
either anchor my strings or insert them in the middle of a larger
regexp, which is why I don’t particularly think that this is a method
that belongs on String.
If it’s to be on String, though, it should probably be on a few others
as well (Fixnum) and it should be explicit: #to_regexp.
-austin
On 11/23/05, Trans [email protected] wrote:
Austin Z. wrote:
I disagree that either #to_re or #to_rx would be a good name for this
construct. I think that it would be better to have a method on Regexp
itself (a new, alternative constructor) that does this. Maybe:Regexp.compile_escaped(str)
The problem here is largely one of brevity. Who wants to type all that
when #to_re will do?
Because neither #to_re nor #to_rx are expressive enough. As such, they
don’t belong in the core.
I think even more usful though would just be a method on String that
does the Regexp escaping. I had been using my own small Kernel method
#resc(str) for this, but now I see it would be much more useful as a
String method:/^#{foo.resc}/ =~ bar
All things being the same, I’ll put that in the next verison of Facets.
Another name without expressiveness. #escape_regexp would be better.
But that doesn’t suit your apparent need for brevity. Maybe #regesc,
but I would still oppose its inclusion in the core, so it really does
probably belong in Facets, where I don’t have to even care that it
exists.
-austin
Austin Z. wrote:
I disagree that either #to_re or #to_rx would be a good name for this
construct. I think that it would be better to have a method on Regexp
itself (a new, alternative constructor) that does this. Maybe:Regexp.compile_escaped(str)
The problem here is largely one of brevity. Who wants to type all that
when #to_re will do?
I don’t think I’ve actually ever seen Regexp.compile used, so maybe it
can be repurposed in 1.9 to do this.FWIW, I don’t tend to use the construct that Alex did – I tend to
either anchor my strings or insert them in the middle of a larger
regexp, which is why I don’t particularly think that this is a method
that belongs on String.
If it’s to be on String, though, it should probably be on a few others
as well (Fixnum) and it should be explicit: #to_regexp.
#to_regexp would imply that the object was some type of Regexp already.
#to_re or #to_rx clearly indicate it is a conversion. It’s a pretty
innocent method and I don’t think it is too much trouble to have even
if it’s not the most useful method in the world.
I think even more usful though would just be a method on String that
does the Regexp escaping. I had been using my own small Kernel method
#resc(str) for this, but now I see it would be much more useful as a
String method:
/^#{foo.resc}/ =~ bar
All things being the same, I’ll put that in the next verison of Facets.
T.
Maybe #regesc
#regesc is better, thanks.
but I would still oppose its inclusion in the core, so it really does
probably belong in Facets, where I don’t have to even care that it
exists.
Uhuh, like you haven’t scoured through its source for what suits you
;-p
T.
Hi Austin
Austin Z. wrote:
I disagree that either #to_re or #to_rx would be a good name for this
construct.
I don’t feel strongly about the name, though compare #to_f, #to_i, and
#to_s already in the core - I don’t see those as obviously more
‘expressive’ than to_rx, simply more familiar.
After all, #to_s could mean to ‘to_symbol’, and #to_f could mean
‘to_file’, if one were being perverse.
I don’t think I’ve actually ever seen Regexp.compile used, so maybe it
can be repurposed in 1.9 to do this.
Yes, the special constrctor always makes me think it should do something
“special” - perhaps like the /o modifier in perlre. However, I’d prefer
an instance method in String to a new or repurposed class method in
Regexp.
FWIW, I don’t tend to use the construct that Alex did – I tend to
either anchor my strings or insert them in the middle of a larger
regexp, which is why I don’t particularly think that this is a method
that belongs on String.
I also commonly use them anchored within a larger regexp, but it would
still be nicer to be able to write
/before #{str.to_rx} after/
Than to have to wedge a long call to a class function in an interpolated
section.
I suppose the point I’m making is that Strings have a ‘natural’ affinity
to or representation as Regexps - viz their mutually substitutable uses
in #split, #sub and friends, and so it would be nice to make conversion
between the two less unwieldy and verbose.
Regexp seems to me a ‘major’ core class, with its own literal syntax (as
Float, Integer, String, Symbol) etc. I wouldn’t like to make anyone
write “#{an_integer}” to do the work of Integer#to_s, unless they really
wanted to.
I agree there is some ambiguity about the semantics re anchoring -
should #to_rx mean
/#{Regexp.escape(a_string)/
or
/\A#{Regexp.escape(a_string)\z/
The strongest argument for the former is that the latter doesn’t do
anything useful that #== doesn’t already do.
If it’s to be on String, though, it should probably be on a few others
as well (Fixnum) and it should be explicit: #to_regexp.
Perhaps, yes. It’s not something I’ve ever yearned for personally.
cheers
alex
On 11/23/05, Trans [email protected] wrote:
Maybe #regesc
#regesc is better, thanks.
but I would still oppose its inclusion in the core, so it really does
probably belong in Facets, where I don’t have to even care that it
exists.
Uhuh, like you haven’t scoured through its source for what suits you
;-p
I’ve looked through the docs. There’s so much there that I can get
elsewhere… 
-austin
I believe the Facets project already contains a method like this for
String
objects.
j.
On 11/24/05, Nikolai W.
[email protected]
wrote:
end
literal in a regex shouldn’t be hard and Ruby should just "do the right
if you’re into the whole thing of “the joy of giving”, then I’m
certainly into the whole thing of “the joy of receiving”.nikolai–
Nikolai W.: now available free of charge at http://bitwi.se/!
Born in Chicago, IL USA; currently residing in Gothenburg, Sweden.
main(){printf(&linux[“\021%six\012\0”],(linux)[“have”]+“fun”-97);}
–
“Remember. Understand. Believe. Yield! → http://ruby-lang.org”
Jeff W.
Alex F. wrote:
/#{Regexp.escape(a_string)}/
I turned up a few references to this sort of thing in ruby code on the
web.
Please, everyone read Apocalypse 5 and
let’s use that as a base for regexes in Ruby 2. Trying to put a string
literal in a regex shouldn’t be hard and Ruby should just “do the right
thing” for you. I think that regular expressions have been grossly
misused in a lot of places and a lot of ways in the applications of
computer science. I realize that we can’t go back, but to be able to go
forward, perhaps we need to stop and look around - more and more
metacharacters, funky escapes, and so on isn’t sustainable in the long
run. Apocalypse 5 is a good base and I think that a lot of nice things
can come out of it (well, we’re here, three years later, and still
nothing, but bear with me).
I also want a way to feed data to a regular expression for christmas, so
if you’re into the whole thing of “the joy of giving”, then I’m
certainly into the whole thing of “the joy of receiving”.
nikolai
nikolai,
Could you give us a summary of how it would apply. I really don’t have
time to weed through all that material.
Thanks,
T.
Jeff W. wrote:
[me discussing the merits of a better regex syntax over having #to_*
methods]
I believe the Facets project already contains a method like this for String
objects.
What it may contains is a #to_re method. It doesn’t include anything
relating to my message.
nikolaiTrans wrote:
Could you give us a summary of how it would apply. I really don’t have
time to weed through all that material.
There are two possible solutions as I see it that make more sense than
#to_rx: a) strings are interpreted as just that - strings of symbols
that you want to interpret literally and b) add syntax to allow you to
easily embed strings inside a regular expression.
In Perl 6, the suggestion is to interpret $string as a string and
<$string> as a regular expression. In Ruby that’d be #{string} and
<#{string}>, I suppose. (#{regex} would still mean what it means today
in both cases.)
Another thing that’d be nice to have is a way to insert literal strings
directly, e.g., /<‘common regex operators include *, ?, and .’>/, where
<‘…’> is syntax for a literal string. A way to embedd a string
variable would then perhaps be /<‘#{var}’>/, but I think that the
solution in the previous paragraph may make more sense.
I’m probably not making myself clear enough, but if what I’m saying
seems interesting I’d suggest you at least read “Synopsis 5” [1].
nikolai
[1] Synopsis 5
How does this differ from embedding variables in regular expressions now
with
a = “hello world”
b = “hello”
c = /#{ b }/
c.match( a ).to_a
#=> [“hello”]
Let me know if I’m missing something…
j.
On 11/26/05, Nikolai W.
[email protected] wrote:
In Perl 6, the suggestion is to interpret $string as a string and
I’m probably not making myself clear enough, but if what I’m saying
–
“Remember. Understand. Believe. Yield! → http://ruby-lang.org”
Jeff W.
Jeff,
a = “hello world”
b = “w.*”
c = /#{ b }/
c.match( a ).to_a
#=> [“world”]
Characters arn’t escaped.
T.
Thanks, I glanced over the synopisis…and whoa! that’s a lot of
changes --basically remaking regular expressions. Looks like they’re
good changes mostly, but still, that’s a major shift.
As for the interpolation itself, I totally agree. It would be better to
have some standard construct. Your proposal cooresponding to Perl 6
seems reasonable to me.
T.
I didn’t want them to be … I wanted the body of the string to be
passed in literally …
Yes, I understand if I wanted otherwise I would have to do just a
touch more work…
c = /#{ Regexp.escape( b ) }/
but, it’s all literal, and doesn’t surprise me… as it shouldn’t anyone
else.
/#{ b }/ where b = "w." should be /w./
… guess I’m not understanding the original point … somebody
wanting an additional wrapper for strings that auto escapes them ?
why not write one %e( ) or something like that.
…
j.
On 11/26/05, Trans [email protected] wrote:
T.
–
“Remember. Understand. Believe. Yield! → http://ruby-lang.org”
Jeff W.
Although I am surprised there isn’t a String#escape ( or maybe #escaped
) method
/#{ b.escaped }/
… or something like that. would be literal, and make sense …
j.
On 11/26/05, Jeff W. [email protected] wrote:
/#{ b }/ where b = "w." should be /w./
–
“Remember. Understand. Believe. Yield! → http://ruby-lang.org”
Jeff W.
Jeff W. wrote:
Although I am surprised there isn’t a String#escape ( or maybe
#escaped ) method/#{ b.escaped }/
… or something like that. would be literal, and make sense …
Did you even read this thread? That’s what was being proposed, see the
subject. The point is that that’s not the right way to solve this
problem.
nikolaiYes I did read the original thread.
And although from time to time I have been “thumbs-up” for adding
punctuation soup into Ruby, I’m learning and growing into the fact that
it’s
not the ruby way.
I was simply trying to suggest something that felt more ruby to me.
adding syntax ( or anything directly from Perl ) just continues
to
feed where most of the complaints I’ve ever heard about ruby … It
doesn’t
need to feel any more perlish than it already does in some places.
The only opinion that matters to me is Matz. If he likes it, I’m sure
I’ll
get used to it, otherwise, bleck, I’ll pass.
j.
On 11/27/05, Nikolai W.
[email protected]
wrote:
Did you even read this thread? That’s what was being proposed, see the
–
“Remember. Understand. Believe. Yield! → http://ruby-lang.org”
Jeff W.
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