From: dblack@...
Date: 2003-08-15T22:15:31+09:00
Subject: Re: regexp warning in String.split?

Hi --

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003, Brian Candler wrote:

> On Fri, Aug 15, 2003 at 10:02:10PM +0900, Chris Morris wrote:
> >     irb(main):001:0> 'a,b'.split(',')
> >     => ["a", "b"]
> >     irb(main):004:0> 'a => b'.split(' => ')
> >     (irb):4: warning: string pattern instead of regexp; metacharacters
> >     no longer eff
> >     ective
> >     => ["a", "b"]
> >
> > Why do I get a warning on the second split call?
>
> Because you should be using:
>
> 'a => b'.split(/ => /)
>
> (I don't think '=' or '>' by themselves has significance in a regexp, but in
> combination they might do - if you use odd things like assertions)

It's more that the behavior has changed; actually now it doesn't
matter if they're metacharacters, so it's safer to use strings in that
position than it used to be (if a string will do in a given case, of
course).


David

-- 
David Alan Black
home: dblack@superlink.net
work: blackdav@shu.edu
Web:  http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav