# Re: Odd behavior of String#scan

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-odd-behavior-of-string-scan/50870>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [December 22, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-odd-behavior-of-string-scan/50870 "2005-12-22T01:45:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dasch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@dasch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dasch)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-odd-behavior-of-string-scan/50870/1 "2005-12-22T01:45:28Z")

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> From: Dan D. [[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)]
> 
> Will this do?
> 
> s=“abcSTARTdef,ghi,jkl,ENDmno”  
> s.scan(/START(.\*)END/).to\_s.split(“,”)
> 
> =\> [“def”, “ghi”, “jkl”]

s=“abcSTARTdef,ghi,jkl,ENDmno”  
/START(.\*)END/.match(s)[1].split(“,”)

Better conveys the intention to me, but YMMV.

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**Author:** ![dasch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@dasch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dasch)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-odd-behavior-of-string-scan/50870/2 "2005-12-22T02:24:35Z")

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Daniel S. wrote:

> s=“abcSTARTdef,ghi,jkl,ENDmno”  
> /START(.\*)END/.match(s)[1].split(",")

s[/START(.\*?)END/, 1].split(",") # 🙂