From: Simon Strandgaard <neoneye@...>
Date: 2004-04-22T10:37:28+09:00
Subject: [ann] regexp-engine-0.8, perl5 + some perl6

download:
http://rubyforge.org/frs/?group_id=18&release_id=422

play with regexp online:
http://neoneye.dk/regexp.rbx

RAA entry:
http://raa.ruby-lang.org/list.rhtml?name=regexp


About
=====

Here is an Regexp engine written entirely in Ruby.
It allows you to search in text with advanced search patterns.
It supports Perl5 syntax... plus some perl6 syntax (more to
come in the future). Its fairly compatible with Ruby's native
regexp engine (GNU), and when running against the Rubicon
testsuite, it passes 96.025% out of 1560 total tests.

The implementation is simple, yet without any optimizations.
Therefore speed is slow.. At some point when optimizations
are in place, I plan to do a re-implementation in C++.
Because of the simplicity, the code should be easy to grasp
and extend with your own custom code.


Goals
=====

Be compatible with Ruby's GNU regexp engine (perl5 syntax).
DONE, This is goal fullfilled.

Support Perl6 regexp-syntax (even before perl6 gets finished).
This new syntax is less obfuscated than old perl5 syntax.
Perhaps also make a converter between perl5 <-> perl6 syntax.
Not fullfilled yet, but I am working on it.

The AEditor project needs a flexible regexp-engine for doing
lexing, so that text can get syntax-colored.
Future.

The Ruby-in-Ruby project needs a regexp-engine.. this engine
will hopefully become suitable.
Optional.

Explain-regexp.. output a verbose overview of what each
opcode in the regexp does.
Optional.


Status
======

The project has completed the 'make it work' phase, and has
entered the 'make it right' phase, where I will focus on
optimization, so that decent speed can be achieved.

Running the engine against the Rubicon testsuite, yields
pass=1498, fail=62,  pass/total=96.025%
The failing tests are mostly obscurities in GNU.

Besides that there are 402 tests, which both does whitebox
and blackbox testing. However in order to run the tests
its necessary to fetch Michael Granger's Test::Unit::Mock
package. 


License
=======

Ruby's license.


Acknowledgements
================

Mark Sparshatt 
* Got the inital idea of extending with perl6.
* NewMatchData class, NewRegexp class. 

Guy Decoux/Dave Thomas
* stolen part of rubicon testsuite which exercises regex.


Contact
=======

In case you find a bug og have suggestion for improvements,
then feel free to mail me. 

Simon Strandgaard  <neoneye@adslhome.dk>


Thanks for your patience.