MatchData

MatchData acts as an array, and may be accessed using the normal array indexing techniques. mtch[0] is equivalent to the special variable $&, and returns the entire matched string. mtch[1], mtch[2], and so on return the values of the matched backreferences (portions of the pattern between parentheses).

   
   m = ORegexp.new( '(.)(.)(\d+)(\d)' ).match("THX1138.")
   m[0]       #=> "HX1138"
   m[1, 2]    #=> ["H", "X"]
   m[1..3]    #=> ["H", "X", "113"]
   m[-3, 2]   #=> ["X", "113"]

If a symbol is used as index, the corresponding named group is returned, or nil if such a group does not exist.

   m = ORegexp.new( '(?<begin>^.*?)(?<middle>\d)(?<end>.*)' ).match("THX1138")
   m[:begin]  #=> "THX"
   m[:moddle]  #=> "1"
   m[:end]  #=> "138"

     # File lib/oniguruma.rb, line 359
359:    def [](*idx)
360:       if idx[0].is_a?(Symbol) 
361:          k = to_index( idx[0] )
362:          k && old_aref(k)
363:        else
364:          old_aref(*idx)
365:        end
366:    end

Returns the offset of the start of the nth element of the match array in the string.

   
   m = ORegexp.new( '(.)(.)(\d+)(\d)' ).match("THX1138.")
   m.begin(0)   #=> 1
   m.begin(2)   #=> 2

If no arguments are given, the index of the first matching character is returned.

   m = ORegexp.new( '(.)(.)(\d+)(\d)' ).match("THX1138.")
   m.begin      #=> 1

If the argument is a symbol, then the beginning of the corresponding named group is returned, or nil if the group does not exist.

   m = ORegexp.new( '(?<begin>^.*?)(?<middle>\d)(?<end>.*)' ).match("THX1138")
   m.begin(:middle) #=> 3

     # File lib/oniguruma.rb, line 395
395:    def begin(*idx)
396:       if idx[0].is_a?(Symbol) 
397:          k = to_index( idx[0] )
398:          k && old_begin(k)
399:       elsif idx.empty?
400:          old_begin( 0 )
401:       else
402:          old_begin(*idx)
403:       end
404:    end

Returns the offset of the character immediately following the end of the nth element of the match array in the string.

   
   m = ORegexp.new( '(.)(.)(\d+)(\d)' ).match("THX1138.")
   m.end(0)   #=> 7
   m.end(2)   #=> 3

If no arguments are given, the index of the last matching character is returned.

   m = ORegexp.new( '(.)(.)(\d+)(\d)' ).match("THX1138.")
   m.last      #=> 7

If the argument is a symbol, then the beginning of the corresponding named group is returned, or nil if the group does not exist.

   m = ORegexp.new( '(?<begin>^.*?)(?<middle>\d)(?<end>.*)' ).match("THX1138")
   m.end(:middle) #=> 4

     # File lib/oniguruma.rb, line 431
431:    def end(*idx)
432:       if idx[0].is_a?(Symbol) 
433:          k = to_index( idx[0] )
434:          k && old_end(k)
435:       elsif idx.empty?
436:          old_end( 0 )
437:       else
438:          old_end(*idx)
439:       end
440:    end

Returns a two-element array containing the beginning and ending offsets of the nth match.

   
   m = ORegexp.new( '(.)(.)(\d+)(\d)' ).match("THX1138.")
   m.offset(0)   #=> [1, 7]
   m.offset(4)   #=> [6, 7]   

If no arguments are given, the offsets of the entire sequence are returned.

   m = ORegexp.new( '(.)(.)(\d+)(\d)' ).match("THX1138.")
   m.offset      #=> [1, 7]

If the argument is a symbol, then the offsets of the corresponding named group are returned, or nil if the group does not exist.

   m = ORegexp.new( '(?<begin>^.*?)(?<middle>\d)(?<end>.*)' ).match("THX1138")
   m.end(:middle) #=> [3, 4]

     # File lib/oniguruma.rb, line 469
469:    def offset(*idx)
470:       if idx[0].is_a?(Symbol) 
471:          k = to_index( idx[0] )
472:          k && old_offset(k)
473:       elsif idx.empty?
474:          old_offset( 0 )
475:       else
476:          old_offset(*idx)
477:       end
478:    end

Returns the group index for the corresponding named group, or nil if the group does not exist.

   
   m = ORegexp.new( '(?<begin>^.*?)(?<middle>\d)(?<end>.*)' ).match("THX1138")
   m.to_index[:begin]    #=> 1
   m.to_index[:unknown]  #=> nil

     # File lib/oniguruma.rb, line 327
327:    def to_index symbol
328:       @named_captures && @named_captures[symbol]
329:    end