bugfindutils - Bugs: bug #56823, -regextype egrep compatibility...

 
 

bug #56823: -regextype egrep compatibility issue, requires full string match as opposed to egrep

Submitter:  Isaac Freeman <memotype>
Submitted:  Wed 28 Aug 2019 08:40:57 PM UTC
   
 
Category:  find Severity:  2 - Minor
Item Group:  Wrong result Status:  Invalid
Privacy:  Public Assigned to:  jay
Originator Name:  Open/Closed:  Open
Release:  4.6.0 Fixed Release:  None
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Sun 01 Sep 2019 07:31:27 AM UTC, comment #1: 

Well if we look at the "Finding Files" manual we see that -regex is described like this:

@deffn Test -regex expr
@deffnx Test -iregex expr
True if the entire file name matches regular expression @var{expr}.
This is a match on the whole path, not a search.  For example, to
[...]

Similarly, in the manual page:

-regex pattern
  File name matches regular expression pattern.  This is a match on the whole path, not a search.  For example, to
[...]

The description of the -regextype option specifically states that it affects only the regular expression syntax understood:

@deffn Option -regextype name
This option controls the variety of regular expression syntax
understood by the @samp{-regex} and @samp{-iregex} tests. 

The manpage is worded somewhat similarly:

-regextype type

  Changes  the  regular  expression  syntax  understood by -regex and -iregex tests which occur later on the command line.  To see which regular expression types are known, use -regextype help.  The Texinfo documentation (see SEE ALSO) explains the meaning of and differences between the various types of regular expression.


It's difficult then to see how such a confusion can arise.
If there is a specific change to the documentation that you think would avoid confusion, I'd be happy to consider a patch you'd like to send.

James Youngman <jay>
Group administrator
Wed 28 Aug 2019 08:40:57 PM UTC, original submission:  


$ find -version
find (GNU findutils) 4.6.0.225-235f
...


Issue: Running this


find . -regextype egrep -regex '\.ya?ml$'


finds nothing, while


find . | egrep '\.ya?ml$'


finds everything fine. Meanwhile


find . -regextype egrep -regex '.*\.ya?ml$'


works fine. I understand that find usually only matches the whole string, but it seems like it is misleading/confusing/unexpected that "-regextype egrep" isn't copy-and-paste-compatible with actual egrep.

Isaac Freeman <memotype>

 

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    Follow 3 latest changes.

    Date Changed by Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced by
    2019-09-01 jay Severity3 - Normal 2 - Minor
        StatusNone Invalid
        Assigned toNone jay

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