From: Michael Schuerig <michael@...>
Date: 2005-09-28T23:56:44+09:00
Subject: Re: Splitting a string with escapable separator?

Jason Sweat wrote:

> On 9/27/05, Michael Schuerig <michael@schuerig.de> wrote:
>>
>> I'm trying to come up with an *elegant* way to split a string into an
>> array at a separator with the additional feature that the separators
>> can be escaped. It should work like this
>>
>>   "Hello\, World,Hi".split_escapable(',' '\')
>>   # => ["Hello, World", "Hi"]
>>
>> Through a number of permutations with regexps, scan and the rest of
>> the family, I was unable to find a solution. I could parse the given
>> string myself, going though it character by character, but I'd prefer
>> a less pedestrian approach.
>>
>> Michael
> 
> With the new Regex engine in cvs ruby you can use a negative lookback
> assertion in your split:
>>> s = "Hello\\, World, Hi"
> => "Hello\\, World, Hi"
>>> s.split /(?<!\\),/
> => ["Hello\\, World", " Hi"]

That must be the most elegant solution. Unfortunately I can't use cvs
ruby and can't wait for it either.

Michael

-- 
Michael Schuerig                  Airtight arguments have
mailto:michael@schuerig.de        vacuous conclusions.
http://www.schuerig.de/michael/   --A.O. Rorty, Explaining Emotions