Bugs item #1591319, was opened at 2006-11-06 12:49 Message generated for change (Tracker Item Submitted) made by Item Submitter You can respond by visiting: https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=105470&aid=1591319&group_id=5470
Please note that this message will contain a full copy of the comment thread, including the initial issue submission, for this request, not just the latest update. Category: Regular Expressions Group: Python 2.4 Status: Open Resolution: None Priority: 5 Private: No Submitted By: Thomas K. (tomek74) Assigned to: Gustavo Niemeyer (niemeyer) Summary: replace groups doesn't work in this special case Initial Comment: If you have a regular expression like this: ([0-9])([a-z])? matching this string: 1 1a and replacing with this: yx you get what expected: yx yx BUT: If you replace with this: \1\2 you get nothing replaced, because the group \2 doesn't exist for the pattern "1". But it does exist for the pattern "1a"! We have multiple possibilities here: 1.) The string "1" gives no result, because \2 doesn't exist. The string "1a" gives a result, so the output should be: 1a 2.) The sring "1" gives a result, because \2 is handled like an empty string. The string "1a" gives a result, so the output should be: 1 1a I think the case that the sring "1" has no results, but effects the string "1a" wich would normaly have a result, is bad. What are your thoughts on it? Test code: import re # common variables rawstr = r"""([0-9])([a-z])?""" embedded_rawstr = r"""([0-9])([a-z])?""" matchstr = """1 1a""" # method 1: using a compile object compile_obj = re.compile(rawstr) match_obj = compile_obj.search(matchstr) # method 2: using search function (w/ external flags) match_obj = re.search(rawstr, matchstr) # method 3: using search function (w/ embedded flags) match_obj = re.search(embedded_rawstr, matchstr) # Retrieve group(s) from match_obj all_groups = match_obj.groups() # Retrieve group(s) by index group_1 = match_obj.group(1) group_2 = match_obj.group(2) # Replace string newstr = compile_obj.subn('\1\2', 0) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can respond by visiting: https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=105470&aid=1591319&group_id=5470 _______________________________________________ Python-bugs-list mailing list Unsubscribe: http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-bugs-list/archive%40mail-archive.com