# Regex help please please! **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [20 December 2002 00:48 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/regex-help-please-please/3724 "2002-12-20T00:48:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Matthew\_Graeme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Matthew\_Graeme](https://rubytalk.org/u/Matthew_Graeme)\ **Post date:** [20 December 2002 00:48 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/regex-help-please-please/3724/1 "2002-12-20T00:48:19Z")
Hi All Please could someone assist as im now bald with a pile of hair around my chair ! How does one do greedy regex’s in ruby ? in Perl / Python one has access to the /s or .DOTALL option but in ruby I cannot get a greedy effect. For example in Python to analyse a, yes im sorry visual basic file and tokenize it I can do the following: prog = re.compile(r""" ``` (Private|Public)? #Look for Private or Public identifier ``` but its optional ``` \s* #Followed by any whitesoace (sub|function) #Followed by the word Sub or Function \s* #Followed by any whitesoace (.*?) #Followed by characters(name of token) \s* #Followed by whitespace, but its ``` optional ``` \( #Followed by an opening bracket - start ``` of parameter enclosure ``` (.*?) #Followed by a whole lot of text ie ``` parameters 🙂 ``` \) #Followed by a closing bracket (.*?) #Followed by a whole lot of text (the ``` code) ``` end\s+(sub|function) #Followed by the word End followed by ``` Sub or Function ``` """,re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE + re.VERBOSE) result = prog.findall(data) ``` Thanks Graeme > **···** > > \_\_ > > * * * > > This e-mail and any attachments may be confidential or legally privileged. > If you received this message in error or are not the intended recipient, you > should destroy the e-mail message and any attachments or copies, and you are > prohibited from retaining, distributing, disclosing or using any information > contained herein. Please inform us of the erroneous delivery by return > e-mail. > > Thank you for your cooperation. > > * * * > > ec03/04 ---
**Author:** ![Iain\_Spoon\_Truskett2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5fc32e/32.png) [@Iain\_Spoon\_Truskett2](https://rubytalk.org/u/Iain_Spoon_Truskett2)\ **Post date:** [20 December 2002 01:07 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/regex-help-please-please/3724/2 "2002-12-20T01:07:56Z")
- Matthew, Graeme ([Graeme.Matthew@mercer.com](mailto:Graeme.Matthew@mercer.com)) [20 Dec 2002 11:49]: […] > How does one do greedy regex’s in ruby ? in Perl / Python one has > access to the /s or .DOTALL option but in ruby I cannot get a greedy > effect. That’s not what ‘greedy’ means in regular expressions. You’re thinking of ‘multiline mode’. In Perl, that’s /s In Ruby, that’s /m (one day, someone will explain why Ruby has Perl’s /m on by default and renamed /s to /m; feel free to make that day today) Greediness is that quantifiers grab as much as they can. e.g. /^.+/ matches all of “foo”, not just “f” which /^.+?/ would match. irb(main):001:0\> “foo” =~ /^.+?/; puts $& f =\> nil irb(main):002:0\> “foo” =~ /^.+/; puts $& foo =\> nil cheers, > **···** > > – > Iain. ---
**Author:** ![Shashank\_Date3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Shashank\_Date3](https://rubytalk.org/u/Shashank_Date3)\ **Post date:** [20 December 2002 01:58 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/regex-help-please-please/3724/3 "2002-12-20T01:58:13Z")
How about: ``` prog = Regexp.compile(' (Private|Public)? #Look for Private or Public identifier but its optional \s* #Followed by any whitesoace (sub|function) #Followed by the word Sub or Function \s* #Followed by any whitesoace (.*?) #Followed by characters(name of token) \s* #Followed by whitespace, but its optional \( #Followed by an opening bracket - start of parameter enclosure (.*?) #Followed by a whole lot of text ie parameters :-) \) #Followed by a closing bracket (.*?) #Followed by a whole lot of text (the code) end\s+\2 #Followed by the word End followed by Sub or Function ' , Regexp::MULTILINE + Regexp::EXTENDED + Regexp::IGNORECASE) s = "PRIVATE function test() \n some code here \n End function" m = prog.match(s) if m p m[0] else puts 'Did not match!' end s = "PRIVATE Sub test() \n some code here \n End function" m = prog.match(s) if m p m[0] else puts 'Did not match!' end ``` Let me know if that works for you. I have only tested it on ruby 1.7.3 (2002-11-17) [i386-mswin32] HTH, – shanko “Matthew, Graeme” [Graeme.Matthew@mercer.com](mailto:Graeme.Matthew@mercer.com) wrote in message [news:AFB901DF1A6CD411A3AD00D0B781F8E5049CA1B0@wmelntms01.au.wmmercer.com](mailto:news:AFB901DF1A6CD411A3AD00D0B781F8E5049CA1B0@wmelntms01.au.wmmercer.com)… Hi All Please could someone assist as im now bald with a pile of hair around my chair ! How does one do greedy regex’s in ruby ? in Perl / Python one has access to the /s or .DOTALL option but in ruby I cannot get a greedy effect. For example in Python to analyse a, yes im sorry visual basic file and tokenize it I can do the following: prog = re.compile(r""" ``` (Private|Public)? #Look for Private or Public identifier but its optional \s* #Followed by any whitesoace (sub|function) #Followed by the word Sub or Function \s* #Followed by any whitesoace (.*?) #Followed by characters(name of token) \s* #Followed by whitespace, but its optional \( #Followed by an opening bracket - start of parameter enclosure (.*?) #Followed by a whole lot of text ie parameters :-) \) #Followed by a closing bracket (.*?) #Followed by a whole lot of text (the code) end\s+(sub|function) #Followed by the word End followed by Sub or Function """,re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE + re.VERBOSE) result = prog.findall(data) ``` Thanks Graeme > **···** > > \_\_ > > * * * > > This e-mail and any attachments may be confidential or legally privileged. > > If you received this message in error or are not the intended recipient, you > > should destroy the e-mail message and any attachments or copies, and you are > > prohibited from retaining, distributing, disclosing or using any information > > contained herein. Please inform us of the erroneous delivery by return > > e-mail. > > Thank you for your cooperation. > > * * * > > ec03/04 ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Stok2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mike\_Stok2](https://rubytalk.org/u/Mike_Stok2)\ **Post date:** [20 December 2002 01:58 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/regex-help-please-please/3724/4 "2002-12-20T01:58:16Z")
By “greedy” I assume you mean make the . metacharacter match anything including a new line. (Normally greed in regexps is used in the context of how much of the string is “consumed” by quantified atoms, but I’m guessing from the context.) Do you want the m modifier? e.g. (in irb) irb(main):001:0\> languages = “ruby\nperl\npython” =\> “ruby\nperl\npython” irb(main):002:0\> languages =~ /(r.\*y)/ && $1 =\> “ruby” irb(main):003:0\> languages =~ /(r.\*y)/m && $1 =\> “ruby\nperl\npy” or if pythonesque verbosity is what you’re after irb(main):004:0\> Regexp.new(‘(r.\*y)’, Regexp::MULTILINE).match(languages)[1] =\> “ruby\nperl\npy” Hope this helps, Mike > **···** > > In article [AFB901DF1A6CD411A3AD00D0B781F8E5049CA1B0@wmelntms01.au.wmmercer.com](mailto:AFB901DF1A6CD411A3AD00D0B781F8E5049CA1B0@wmelntms01.au.wmmercer.com), Matthew, Graeme wrote: > > > Please could someone assist as im now bald with a pile of hair around my > > chair ! > > > How does one do greedy regex’s in ruby ? in Perl / Python one has access to > > the /s or .DOTALL option but in ruby I cannot get a greedy effect. > > – > [mike@stok.co.uk](mailto:mike@stok.co.uk) | The “`Stok’ disclaimers” apply. > [http://www.stok.co.uk/~mike/](http://www.stok.co.uk/~mike/) | GPG PGP Key 1024D/059913DA > [mike@exegenix.com](mailto:mike@exegenix.com) | Fingerprint 0570 71CD 6790 7C28 3D60 > [http://www.exegenix.com/](http://www.exegenix.com/) | 75D2 9EC4 C1C0 0599 13DA