From: KUSUNOSE Toru <kusunose@...>
Date: 2002-12-01T13:15:06+09:00
Subject: Re: Scope of regex match $variables

Hi,

In message <_qaG9.12613$Qr.238759@news3.calgary.shaw.ca>,
Martin DeMello <martindemello@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Paul Melis <paul@floorball.nl> wrote:
>> "Martin DeMello" <martindemello@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:NX3G9.135966$ka.3103955@news1.calgary.shaw.ca...
>>> Yeah, but I can't figure out a way to make them local to the calling
>>> scope, the way an actual Regexp#match call would.
>> 
>> Why not simply return the MatchData object from your function?
>
>I do, but I thought it'd be nice to have the $n variables set as well. I
>suppose one *shouldn't* be allowed to implicitly set variables in the
>calling scope, though, now that I think about it.

Those $n variables are derived from $~ , the local MatchData object.
You can assign your MatchData object to it and get $n variables.

The following code:

  def mymatch(a,b)
    a =~ b
    p $1
    $~
  end
  
  match = mymatch(/(e..)/,'hello')
  p $1
  $~ = match 
  p $1

prints "ell", nil, "ell".

Hope this helps.

-- 
KUSUNOSE Toru mailto:kusunose@hcn.zaq.ne.jp