From: Robert Dober <robert.dober@...>
Date: 2007-06-10T21:08:46+09:00
Subject: Re: regex: get the first match

On 6/10/07, Trochalakis Christos <yatiohi@ideopolis.gr> wrote:
> Hello!
>
> I want to parse a tagged string like this: "<i>this is</i><i>my
> string</i>"
>
> i am doing:
>
> >> "<i>this is</i><i>my string</i>".scan(/<i>(.*)<\/i>/)
> => [["this is</i><i>my string"]]
>
> What i want is a regex that will return the *first* segment that
> matches.
> in the above case -> [["this is", "my string"]]
>
> Is there any way to do this?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
This is a FAQ, and yes I will give the solution ;)
Regexps are gready par default, they consume as many chars as
possible, there are some possibilities - not tested:

(1) use non gready matches
"<i>this is</i><i>my string</i>".scan(/<i>(.*?)<\/i>/)
(2) use less general expressions
"<i>this is</i><i>my string</i>".scan(/<i>(.[^<]*)<\/i>/)
(3) Combine both ;)
"<i>this is</i><i>my string</i>".scan(/<i>(.[^<]*?)<\/i>/)

HTH
Robert

P.S.
This *really* is a FAQ though
-- 
You see things; and you say Why?
But I dream things that never were; and I say Why not?
-- George Bernard Shaw