From: Robert Klemme <shortcutter@...>
Date: 2011-05-09T22:55:55+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby Regex

On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 3:45 PM, flebber <flebber.crue@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am new too using regex on files and I am not quite getting the
> result I expect. The script currently doesn't error but also doesn't
> update the file either.
>
> Trying to remove leading numbers and ' - 'from the start of a filename
> given a directory.
>
> require 'fileutils'
>
> def cleanFiles()
>  dir = 'C:\Users\RenshawFamily\maven\Music\Foo Fighters\Live At
> Wembley Stadium'

Better uses forward slashes to avoid potential issues with quoting.

>  # add files to array unless a directoy is found
>  myFiles = Array.new << File.split(dir) unless File.file?("")

You are adding two elements (dirname and basename) to a new Array.  What for?

Also, what is the test at the end of the line supposed to do?

>  # Todo when files process step into directory and redo.
>  myFiles.each do|file|

Here you are iterating through an Array which you know to always only
contain 1 element (a nested Array with two elements, see above).  It
does not make any sense to use an Array.

>    # remove leading numbers a "-"
>    file.replace(/dd\-/, '')

You rather want

# all numbers yield one dash
new_file = file.sub /\A\d+/, '-'

or

# each number gets its own dash
new_file = file.sub(/\A\d+/) {|m| '-' * m.length}

>    Fileutils.mv(myFile, file)

As far as I can see myFile is undefined here.

>  end
> end

Overall the logic is quite dark to me...

Kind regards

robert

-- 
remember.guy do |as, often| as.you_can - without end
http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/