From: Paul van Delst <Paul.vanDelst@...>
Date: 2006-10-21T01:40:18+09:00
Subject: Re: Problem modifying captured regexp results

Gavin Kistner wrote:
> From: Paul van Delst [mailto:Paul.vanDelst@noaa.gov] 
>> So can someone elaborate on why the above split operation on 
>> captured regexp results seems 
>> to bugger up the other captured results? Does this issue 
>> extend to *any* operation on 
>> captured regexp results?
> 
> That's what you get for using the (thread-local) global variables that
> change with each regexp operation.
> 
> Regexp.match returns a MatchData object that will allow you to save your
> results from a previous operation and not have them changed by later
> code.

Hello,

I agree with what you're saying. I actually have already switched to MatchData objects 
rather than the $-variables -- for all the usual reasons.

So, while my initial question may be less interesting now (since I have working code), I'm 
still curious why in the statement

   arrayList<<{"type"=>$1,
               "param"=>$2,
               "dimlist"=>$3.split(/\s*,\s*/),
               "name"=>$4,
               "description"=>$5}

operation on $3 modifies $4 and $5? (And, similarly, operation on $1 would "clear" $2 to $5)

Based on your first sentence, I guess I have an updated question:

Does using the split method on a $-variable count as a "regexp operation"?

cheers,

paulv

-- 
Paul van Delst             Ride lots.
CIMSS @ NOAA/NCEP/EMC               Eddy Merckx
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