From: MenTaLguY <mental@...>
Date: 2007-04-13T02:53:02+09:00
Subject: Re: Slow ruby regexes

On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 02:47:34 +0900, MenTaLguY <mental@rydia.net> wrote:
>> In some instances it will take longer to compile the
>> regex into a DFA then it will take to evaluate the simple NFA
>> representation.
> 
> Namely, when most of the states in the NFA will not be visited for a
> particular input.  That is why the DFA construction is done lazily.

Sorry, I meant to say that it's when most of the states in the _DFA_ will not be visited for a particular input.  

Generally speaking, you can visit all the states in the NFA without necessarily visiting all the states in the DFA.

-mental