From: Martin Stannard <martins@...>
Date: 2003-08-22T23:46:16+09:00
Subject: irb regexp strangeness

I've noticed the following behaviour when playing with irb:

martin@beyond ruby $ cat t.rb
puts 'testing' =~ /test/
puts 'testing' =~ 'test'
puts 'testing' !~ /test/
puts 'testing' !~ 'test'
martin@beyond ruby $ ruby t.rb
0
t.rb:2: warning: string =~ string will be obsolete; use explicit regexp
0
false
t.rb:4: warning: string =~ string will be obsolete; use explicit regexp
false

Fine as a script, however:

martin@beyond ruby $ irb
irb(main):001:0> 'testing' =~ /test/
=> 0
irb(main):002:0> 'testing' =~ 'test'
(irb):2: warning: string =~ string will be obsolete; use explicit regexp
=> 0
irb(main):003:0> 'testing' !~ /test/
irb(main):004:0* ^C                   <-----IRB gets stuck here
irb(main):004:0> 'testing' !~ 'test'
(irb):4: warning: string =~ string will be obsolete; use explicit regexp
=> false
irb(main):005:0>

Why the hang on line 4?

cheers,

Martin