# Re: match with string instead of regexp fails

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-match-with-string-instead-of-regexp-fails/71921>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [October 12, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-match-with-string-instead-of-regexp-fails/71921 "2006-10-12T12:54:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CameronS\_Gemma\_SUK](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@CameronS\_Gemma\_SUK](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/CameronS_Gemma_SUK)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-match-with-string-instead-of-regexp-fails/71921/1 "2006-10-12T12:54:12Z")

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I thought the syntax was incorrect…

“cat” =~ “a” #=\> 1

Fails as it’s looking to match a reg ex not a string.

Should be:

“cat” =~ /a/ #=\> 1

Or am I wrong?!?!

Gem

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CameronS\_Gemma\_SUK](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@CameronS\_Gemma\_SUK](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/CameronS_Gemma_SUK)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:39am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-match-with-string-instead-of-regexp-fails/71921/2 "2006-10-18T10:39:30Z")

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On 10/12/06, Cameron, Gemma (UK) [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Or am I wrong?!?!

Indeed, the example _is_ wrong (judged by current ruby). However the  
documentation states that:

str =~ obj =\> fixnum or nil

Match? If obj is a String, look for it in str (similar to  
String#index). Returns the position the match starts, or nil if there  
is no match. Otherwise, invokes obj.=~, passing str as an argument.  
The default =~ in Object returns false.

“cat o’ 9 tails” =~ ‘\d’ #=\> nil  
  
([class String - RDoc Documentation](http://ruby-doc.org/core/classes/String.html#M001453))

The question was why it doesn’t work. The answer: the online  
documentation is outdated (I don’t know how the docs in the install  
package look like, I haven’t installed 1.8.5 yet).