[ #456742 ] Failing test case for .*?

[Skip Montanaro]

    Python 2.2b1 (#25, Oct 19 2001, 11:44:52) [MSC 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
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    >>> import re
    >>> s="""a\nb\n1"""
    >>> re.findall("[^\n]+?\d", s)
    ['a\nb\n1']

I don't know if it's a bug, but there are a couple ways to work around it:

    >>> re.findall("[^\n]+?\d", s)
    ['a\nb\n1']
    >>> re.findall("[^\n]*\d", s)
    ['1']
    >>> re.findall("(?:[^\n]+)?(\d)", s)
    ['1']

Maybe there's some kind of operator precedence issue (the "?" binds more
tightly than the "+") that means you have to wrap the first part of the
pattern in a group.

Are you just demonstrating the problem or can't you use "*" instead of "+?"
for some reason?

-- 
Skip Montanaro (skip at pobox.com)
http://www.mojam.com/
http://www.musi-cal.com/