From: dblack@...
Date: 2006-05-20T00:53:23+09:00
Subject: Re: problems with irb? str = 'a\b\c' seems impossible

Hi --

On Sat, 20 May 2006, Krekna Mektek wrote:

> Can someone help me out with this, I can't put the string 'a\b\c' in
> the variable str, which is strange, because I am working with the
> PickAxe book, and this what should work (page 71, 2nd ed.)
>
> the two before seem to work, but the example in the book, 'a\b\c' seems not.
> This a bug? How come irb does not seem to understand the last quote?
>
> irb(main):021:0> str = 'a\b\c '
> => "a\\b\\c "
> irb(main):022:0> str = 'a\bc'
> => "a\\bc"
> irb(main):023:0> str = 'a\b\c'
> irb(main):024:0'
> irb(main):025:0' '
> SyntaxError: compile error
> (irb):25: unterminated string meets end of file
>       from (irb):25
>       from :0

I've noticed that too.  For some reason, '\c' seems to produce
something other than a literal backslash-c sequence.  I stumbled on
that a month or so ago but I don't know why it happens.

(Helpful answer, isn't it? :-)


David

-- 
David A. Black (dblack@wobblini.net)
* Ruby Power and Light, LLC (http://www.rubypowerandlight.com)
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* Author of "Ruby for Rails" from Manning Publications!
   > http://www.manning.com/black