[DFDL-WG] Clarification needed: regular expressions - does '.' match newlines by default?

[Tim Kimber]

I would vote for this feature to be switched off by default in DFDL 
processors. It is mainly useful when dealing with lines of text, but DFDL 
formats are not always lines of text.
So to be 100% clear, I think the '.' wildcard should match all characters, 
including line endings.

regards,

Tim Kimber, DFDL Team,
Hursley, UK
Internet:  kimbert at uk.ibm.com
Tel. 01962-816742 
Internal tel. 37246742




From:   Mike Beckerle <mbeckerle.dfdl at gmail.com>
To:     dfdl-wg at ogf.org, 
Date:   14/11/2012 12:53
Subject:        [DFDL-WG] Clarification needed: regular expressions - does 
'.' match newlines by default?
Sent by:        dfdl-wg-bounces at ogf.org




A key behavior distinction in regular expressions is whether the '.' 
wildcard matches line endings or not. 

Regular expression libraries can be configured, usually by some sort of 
expression modifier, either way so that the '.' will not match a line 
ending or so that it will.

Question is, how is it configured by default in DFDL regular expressions?

This is part of the overall issue of tightening up regular expressions as 
part of DFDL. I.e., what exactly is the regex dialect, and how is it 
configured by default.

...mike

-- 
Mike Beckerle | OGF DFDL WG Co-Chair 
Tel:  781-330-0412
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