From: Martin DeMello <martindemello@...>
Date: 2006-07-12T21:59:30+09:00
Subject: Re: String#scan puzzlement

On 7/12/06, Carlos <angus@quovadis.com.ar> wrote:
> Martin DeMello wrote:
> > I'm trying to match sequences of capitalised words - can someone
> > explain why the second regexp works but not the first?
> >
> > irb(main):001:0> a =  "And then we Went to The Next Place to be"
> > => "And then we Went to The Next Place to be"
> > irb(main):002:0> a.scan /([A-Z]\w+\s+)+/
> > => [["And "], ["Went "], ["Place "]]
> > irb(main):003:0> a.scan /(?:[A-Z]\w+\s+)+/
> > => ["And ", "Went ", "The Next Place "]
>
> Because when you group, scan returns arrays with [$1, $2, $3...], etc.,
> but in "to The Next Place to be" =~ /([A-Z]\w+\s+)+/ there is only $1.
> Put the last "+" inside a group.

ah! that makes things a lot clearer, thanks.

martin