From: ts <decoux@...>
Date: 2002-03-03T21:41:07+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby Regular Expression problem

>>>>> "A" == Alun ap Rhisiart <lists@aprhisiart.clara.co.uk> writes:

A> given that there are regex engines out there that find the result 
A> reliably and quickly, perhaps Ruby's might use such an architecture

 Well, the problem is that the regexp engine of ruby was compared to the
 regexp engine of a P language, and for this case (only this case) the
 difference is not in the architecture but to some extra test added by the
 P regexp engine 

 The P regexp engine is fast in that case, just because it detect
 immediately that the regexp will not match.

 ruby use the regexp engine, and after a long time it say that it can't
 match. 

 More generally, the regexp used in this test was *badly* written (i.e. was
 not adapted for the ruby regexp engine). And with any architecture,
 you'll always have the possibility to write bad regexp.


Guy Decoux