Regex loop yields single element array for multiple finds

ruby-talk
1

I have a string with say "@@@asdfasdf@@@ @@@ lk;lk@@@" called markup, and I do:

markup.scan(/@@@/) do |ats|
print ats.class
print ats.length
end

and I get the class as always Array, and the length as 1. What's with that?

xc

2

harp:~ > ri String.scan
------------------------------------------------------------ String#scan
      str.scan(pattern) => array
      str.scan(pattern) {|match, ...| block } => str

···

On Sat, 29 Apr 2006, Xeno Campanoli wrote:

I have a string with say "@@@asdfasdf@@@ @@@ lk;lk@@@" called markup, and I do:

markup.scan(/@@@/) do |ats|
print ats.class
print ats.length
end

and I get the class as always Array, and the length as 1. What's with that?

xc

------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Both forms iterate through _str_, matching the pattern (which may
      be a +Regexp+ or a +String+). For each match, a result is generated
      and either added to the result array or passed to the block. If the
      pattern contains no groups, each individual result consists of the
      matched string, +$&+. If the pattern contains groups, each
      individual result is itself an array containing one entry per
      group.

         a = "cruel world"
         a.scan(/\w+/) #=> ["cruel", "world"]
         a.scan(/.../) #=> ["cru", "el ", "wor"]
         a.scan(/(...)/) #=> [["cru"], ["el "], ["wor"]]
         a.scan(/(..)(..)/) #=> [["cr", "ue"], ["l ", "wo"]]

      And the block form:

         a.scan(/\w+/) {|w| print "<<#{w}>> " }
         print "\n"
         a.scan(/(.)(.)/) {|a,b| print b, a }
         print "\n"

      _produces:_

         <<cruel>> <<world>>
         rceu lowlr

-a
--
be kind whenever possible... it is always possible.
- h.h. the 14th dali lama

3

"@@@asdfasdf@@@ @@@ lk;lk@@@".scan(/@@@/) do |ats|
   ats # => "@@@", "@@@", "@@@", "@@@"
   ats.class # => String, String, String, String
end

You must be doing something else.

-- Daniel

···

On Apr 28, 2006, at 7:26 PM, Xeno Campanoli wrote:

I have a string with say "@@@asdfasdf@@@ @@@ lk;lk@@@" called markup, and I do:
[...]
and I get the class as always Array, and the length as 1. What's with that?

4

irb(main):090:0* markup = "@@@asdfasdf@@@ @@@ lk;lk@@@"
=> "@@@asdfasdf@@@ @@@ lk;lk@@@"
irb(main):091:0> markup.scan(/@@@/) do |ats|
irb(main):092:1* puts ats.length
irb(main):093:1> end
3
=> "@@@asdfasdf@@@ @@@ lk;lk@@@"
irb(main):094:0>

···

On Apr 28, 2006, at 10:26 AM, Xeno Campanoli wrote:

I have a string with say "@@@asdfasdf@@@ @@@ lk;lk@@@" called markup, and I do:

markup.scan(/@@@/) do |ats|
print ats.class
print ats.length
end

and I get the class as always Array, and the length as 1. What's with that?

xc

-- Elliot Temple