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

[Mike Beckerle]

I agree with Tim's opinion, but add that this is *NOT* the default behavior
of the java regex library we're using in Daffodil currently. One must
prefix all regex's by (?s) I believe to achieve the non-default line-ending
behavior.

On Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 11:15 AM, Tim Kimber <KIMBERT at uk.ibm.com> wrote:

> 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
> --
>  dfdl-wg mailing list
>  dfdl-wg at ogf.org
>  https://www.ogf.org/mailman/listinfo/dfdl-wg
>
> Unless stated otherwise above:
> IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number
> 741598.
> Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU
>



-- 
Mike Beckerle | OGF DFDL WG Co-Chair
Tel:  781-330-0412
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.ogf.org/pipermail/dfdl-wg/attachments/20121114/bb1f0f17/attachment.html>