# HELP version 1.73 **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [1 December 2002 15:58 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-version-1-73/3206 "2002-12-01T15:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shannon\_Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Shannon\_Fang](https://rubytalk.org/u/Shannon_Fang)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2002 15:58 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-version-1-73/3206/1 "2002-12-01T15:58:35Z")
Hi Urgent… I just installed ruby 1.73, some strange thing happened pls read the following warning message: ./test.rb:90: warning: string pattern instead of regexp; metacharacters no longer effective While test.rb:90 is: ha=line.split("\s\*:\s\*") Is there some fundamental change taking place? Do I need to revert to version 1.67? I have no problem there… Shannon ---
**Author:** ![David\_Alan\_Black1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/278dde/32.png) [@David\_Alan\_Black1](https://rubytalk.org/u/David_Alan_Black1)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2002 16:11 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-version-1-73/3206/2 "2002-12-01T16:11:26Z")
Hi – > **···** > > On Mon, 2 Dec 2002, Shannon Fang wrote: > > > Hi > > > > Urgent… I just installed ruby 1.73, some strange thing happened pls > > read the following warning message: > > > > ./test.rb:90: warning: string pattern instead of regexp; metacharacters > > no longer effective > > > > While test.rb:90 is: > > > > ha=line.split(“\s\*:\s\*”) > > > > Is there some fundamental change taking place? Do I need to revert to > > version 1.67? I have no problem there… > > Well, judging from the warning message, I’d say that in 1.7.3, > metacharacters are no longer effective in string arguments to > String#split 🙂 > > Use a regular expression instead: > > ha = line.split(/\s\*:\s\*/) > > David > > – > David Alan Black > home: [dblack@candle.superlink.net](mailto:dblack@candle.superlink.net) > work: blackdav@shu.edu > Web: [http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav](http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav) ---
**Author:** ![ts1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@ts1](https://rubytalk.org/u/ts1)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2002 16:13 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-version-1-73/3206/3 "2002-12-01T16:13:47Z")
> ./test.rb:90: warning: string pattern instead of regexp; metacharacters > no longer effective Give it a regexp, it want a regexp > ha=line.split("\s\*:\s\*")    ha=line.split(/\s\*:\s\*/) > Is there some fundamental change taking place? Now if you want to know the difference pigeon% ruby -ve 'line = "aa\t:\tbb"; ha = line.split("\s\*:\s\*"); p ha' ruby 1.7.3 (2002-11-17) [i686-linux] -e:1: warning: string pattern instead of regexp; metacharacters no longer effective ["aa\t:\tbb"] pigeon% pigeon% /usr/bin/ruby -ve 'line = "aa\t:\tbb"; ha = line.split("\s\*:\s\*"); p ha' ruby 1.6.8 (2002-11-09) [i686-linux] ["aa\t", "\tbb"] pigeon% which probably don't do what you want. Guy Decoux ---
**Author:** ![Shannon\_Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Shannon\_Fang](https://rubytalk.org/u/Shannon_Fang)\ **Post date:** [1 December 2002 16:15 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-version-1-73/3206/4 "2002-12-01T16:15:52Z")
Hi, Tks. Solved. I guess the problem happened when I tried to run http-mail is also related to the syntax change… I don’t know why 173 changes quite a lot… I hope that httpmail is stil under development, alternatively, some document of how hotmail is using the webdav system…? Manythanks Shannon > **···** > > On Mon, 2 Dec 2002 01:11:26 +0900 [dblack@candle.superlink.net](mailto:dblack@candle.superlink.net) wrote: > > > Well, judging from the warning message, I’d say that in 1.7.3, > > metacharacters are no longer effective in string arguments to > > String#split 🙂 > > > > Use a regular expression instead: > > > > ha = line.split(/\s\*:\s\*/) > > > > David > > > > – > > David Alan Black > > home: [dblack@candle.superlink.net](mailto:dblack@candle.superlink.net) > > work: blackdav@shu.edu > > Web: [http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav](http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav)