[Chicago-talk] help with Reg Exp, pls...

[Steven Lembark]

-- Walter Torres <walter at torres.ws>

> I've been pulling my hair out on this.
>
> I can't get a regExp to valid any of these names.
>
> All I want to know is if the string given passes or fails a test that can
> handle the examples below...
>
>    Dr. Roger O'Malley
>    Mrs. Sara Harris-Henderson
>    Manuel Gonzalez
>    Forsok Bokstaver
>    Contem Espaco-Valido
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks
>
> Walter

Not really sure what you are asking for. "a test" could mean
nearly anything, for example:

	if( /\S+/ )
	{
		# the thing has non blanks?
	}


Do you know the names in advance? If so then something like:

	# read in the names, chomp them, whatever.

	my @namz = whatever;

	$_ = qr/$_/ for @namz;

	...

	# check for the names in your input:

	LINE:
	while( <ARGV> )
	{
		for my $rx ( @namz )
		{
			handle_a_matched_name $_ if /$rx/;
			next LINE;
		}

		print STDERR "No match: $_";
	}


converting the string to compiled regexen saves some time
on the iteration.

--
Steven Lembark                               2930 W. Palmer
Workhorse Computing                       Chicago, IL 60647
                                            +1 888 359 3508