From: Robert Dober <robert.dober@...>
Date: 2009-07-17T17:54:34+09:00
Subject: Re: regexp exclusion search - find matches NOT ending with a string?

On 7/17/09, BrendanC <brencam@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have the following text in a file:
>
> 1 a1.html
> 2 b.doc
> 3 c.xml
> 4 d.tiff
> 5 e.jpeg
> 6 f.html
> ....
>
> I need a regexp to match lines except those that end with ending in
> ".html" - iow - I want lines 2-5 above.  I believe this may require a
> negative lookbehind match.  I tried the following but Ruby (1.8) gives
> an undefined sequence error :
>
> $(?<!\.html)   # <---- this seems to work with other engines
>
> Before you jump re Ruby the version I also tested this here -
> http://www.rubyxp.com/ and get invalid expression (fyi this tests with
> Ruby 1.9). Any ideas/alternatives?
Xavier and David gave good advice.
If however you really have to have a matching regex

  %r($(?<!\.html)\z)  # is that what you meant above?

works fine. I believe that you can install Oniguruma on 1.8 as a gem
for that purpose.
HTH
Robert



-- 
Toutes les grandes personnes ont d’abord été des enfants, mais peu
d’entre elles s’en souviennent.

All adults have been children first, but not many remember.

[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry]