From: Renaud HEBERT <renaud.hebert@...>
Date: 2001-08-06T18:46:58+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:19200] Re: Some remarks from a nembie in Ruby

Lloyd Zusman wrote:
> ts <decoux@moulon.inra.fr> writes:
> >>>>>> "R" == Renaud HEBERT <renaud.hebert@alcatel.fr> writes:
> >R> [ ... ]
> >R>
> >R> 4) To replace a single backslash with two, you need to write gsub(/\\/,
> >R> '\\\\\\\\')!! Ouch!
> >
> >   http://www.rubycentral.com/faq/rubyfaq-9.html#ss9.18
> >
> >  You can write '\&\&', only 4 characters
> 
> But to replace the letter 'a' with two backslashes, you still have ...
> 
>   gsub(/a/, '\\\\\\\\')
> 
> However, you can also do this:
> 
>   gsub(/\\/){'\\\\'}
> 
> and
> 
>   gsub(/a/){'\\\\'}
> 
> > Guy Decoux
> 
> --
>  Lloyd Zusman
>  ljz@asfast.com

In fact, it is not the length or the '\\\\\\\\' strings needed and I
know that there are some work-arounds.
Still I think that it is a PITFALL: naturally when trying to replace \
by \\, knowing that '\' are escaped characters, you would write:
gsub(/\\/,'\\\\').

The need to either write gsub(/\\/,'\\\\\\\\') or use a work-around
gsub(/\\/){'\\\\'}, indicates (for me) than something is broken..





-- 
Renaud Hebert
phone: (33) 01 30 77 59 92
mailto:renaud.hebert@alcatel.fr