From: Peter Szinek <peter@...>
Date: 2006-04-06T23:08:18+09:00
Subject: Re: String generalization

>  cat gen1.rb; ruby gen1.rb
> #!/usr/bin/env ruby
> #
> 
> class Generalize < Regexp
> 
The only part i am missing is the one that gave me te most headache in 
the java version - the second step of generalization.
Example:

r = Generalize.new("a.b@c.d.e.f.g")
You would return:
\w+.\w+@\w+.\w+.\w+.\w+.\w+ (first step)

But i want

\w+.\w+@(\w+\.)+\w+ (second step)

instead...

i.e. to find  the repeating strings in the pattern and + them.
I mean it's ok to find the repeating strings, since you can do this with 
one back-referencing regexp. But to decide which of the repeating parts 
to + etc. is a real PITB... At least for me it was.

bw,
Peter