Importing Regexp-Wildcards-0.02.tar.gz

[perl/modules/Regexp-Wildcards.git] / README

diff --git a/README b/README
index 7469605447d8bc9b34cecbf28e4ce853480d9b1b..037d0d2df1fedc7319b5347a375e2c2db0584e3e 100644 (file)
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,21 +1,26 @@
 NAME
 NAME

-    Regexp::Wildcards - Converts wildcards to regexps.
+    Regexp::Wildcards - Converts wildcards expressions to Perl regular
+    expressions.

 
 VERSION
 
 VERSION

-    Version 0.01
+    Version 0.02

 
 SYNOPSIS
         use Regexp::Wildcards qw/wc2re/;
 
         my $re;
 
 SYNOPSIS
         use Regexp::Wildcards qw/wc2re/;
 
         my $re;

-        $re = wc2re 'a{b.,c}*' => 'unix';
-        $re = wc2re 'a.,b*'    => 'win32';
+        $re = wc2re 'a{b.,c}*' => 'unix';   # Do it Unix style.
+        $re = wc2re 'a.,b*'    => 'win32';  # Do it Windows style.
+        $re = wc2re '*{x,y}.'  => 'jokers'; # Process the jokers & escape the rest.

 
 DESCRIPTION
 
 DESCRIPTION

-    This module converts wildcards expressions to Perl regular expressions.
-    It handles the "*" and "?" jokers, as well as Unix bracketed
-    alternatives "{,}", and uses the backspace ("\") as an escape character.
-    Wrappers are provided to mimic the behaviour of Windows and Unix shells.
+    In many situations, users may want to specify patterns to match but
+    don't need the full power of regexps. Wildcards make one of those sets
+    of simplified rules. This module converts wildcards expressions to Perl
+    regular expressions, so that you can use them for matching. It handles
+    the "*" and "?" jokers, as well as Unix bracketed alternatives "{,}",
+    and uses the backspace ("\") as an escape character. Wrappers are
+    provided to mimic the behaviour of Windows and Unix shells.

 
 EXPORT
     Four functions are exported only on request : "wc2re", "wc2re_unix",
 
 EXPORT
     Four functions are exported only on request : "wc2re", "wc2re_unix",


@@ -24,21 +29,42 @@ EXPORT
 FUNCTIONS
   "wc2re_unix"
     This function takes as its only argument the wildcard string to process,
 FUNCTIONS
   "wc2re_unix"
     This function takes as its only argument the wildcard string to process,

-    and returns the corresponding regular expression (or "undef" if the
-    source is invalid) according to standard Unix wildcard rules. It
-    successively escapes all regexp special characters that doesn't hold any
-    meaning for wildcards, turns jokers into their regexp equivalents, and
-    changes bracketed blocks into alternations. If brackets are unbalanced,
-    it will try to substitute as many of them as possible, and then escape
-    the remaining "{" and "}".
+    and returns the corresponding regular expression according to standard
+    Unix wildcard rules. It successively escapes all unprotected regexp
+    special characters that doesn't hold any meaning for wildcards, turns
+    jokers into their regexp equivalents, and changes bracketed blocks into
+    "(?:|)" alternations. If brackets are unbalanced, it will try to
+    substitute as many of them as possible, and then escape the remaining
+    "{" and "}". Commas outside of any bracket-delimited block will also be
+    escaped.
+
+        # This is a valid brackets expression which is correctly handled.
+        print 'ok' if wc2re_unix('{a{b,c}d,e}') eq '(?:a(?:b|c)d|e)';
+
+    Unbalanced bracket expressions can always be rescued, but it may change
+    completely its meaning. For example :
+
+        # The first comma is replaced, and the remaining brackets and comma are
+        # escaped.
+        print 'ok' if wc2re_unix('{a\\{b,c}d,e}') eq '(?:a\\{b|c)d\\,e\\}';
+
+        # All the brackets and commas are escaped.
+        print 'ok' if wc2re_unix('{a{b,c\\}d,e}') eq '\\{a\\{b\\,c\\}d\\,e\\}';

 
   "wc2re_win32"
     Similar to the precedent, but for Windows wildcards. Bracketed blocks
     are no longer handled (which means that brackets will be escaped), but
 
   "wc2re_win32"
     Similar to the precedent, but for Windows wildcards. Bracketed blocks
     are no longer handled (which means that brackets will be escaped), but

-    you can still provide a comma-separated list of items.
+    you can provide a comma-separated list of items.
+
+        # All the brackets are escaped, and commas are seen as list delimiters.
+        print 'ok' if wc2re_win32('{a{b,c}d,e}') eq '(?:\\{a\\{b|c\\}d|e\\})';

 
   "wc2re_jokers"
 
   "wc2re_jokers"

-    This one only handles the "?" and "*" jokers.
+    This one only handles the "?" and "*" jokers. All other unquoted regexp
+    metacharacters will be escaped.
+
+        # Everything is escaped.
+        print 'ok' if wc2re_jokers('{a{b,c}d,e}') eq '\\{a\\{b\\,c\\}d\\,e\\}';

 
   "wc2re"
     A generic function that wraps around all the different rules. The first
 
   "wc2re"
     A generic function that wraps around all the different rules. The first


@@ -46,7 +72,12 @@ FUNCTIONS
     rules to apply, currently either "unix", "win32" or "jokers". If the
     type is undefined, it defaults to "unix".
 
     rules to apply, currently either "unix", "win32" or "jokers". If the
     type is undefined, it defaults to "unix".
 

+DEPENDENCIES
+    Text::Balanced, which is bundled with perl since version 5.7.3
+

 SEE ALSO
 SEE ALSO

+    Some modules provide incomplete alternatives as helper functions :
+

     Net::FTPServer has a method for that. Only jokers are translated, and
     escaping won't preserve them.
 
     Net::FTPServer has a method for that. Only jokers are translated, and
     escaping won't preserve them.