Issue 9179: Lookback with group references incorrect (two issues?) (original) (raw)

Created on 2010-07-06 10:23 by acooke, last changed 2022-04-11 14:57 by admin. This issue is now closed.

Files
File name Uploaded Description Edit
re_getwidth.patch serhiy.storchaka,2014-10-11 18:36 review
re_forbid_some_groupref_in_lookbehind-2.7.patch serhiy.storchaka,2014-11-30 15:30 review
re_forbid_groupref_in_lookbehind-2.7.patch serhiy.storchaka,2014-11-30 17:55 review
re_forbid_groupref_in_lookbehind-2.7_2.patch serhiy.storchaka,2014-11-30 19:36 review
Messages (21)
msg109382 - (view) Author: andrew cooke (acooke) Date: 2010-07-06 10:23
from re import compile # these work as expected assert compile('(a)b(?<=b)(c)').match('abc') assert not compile('(a)b(?<=c)(c)').match('abc') assert compile('(a)b(?=c)(c)').match('abc') assert not compile('(a)b(?=b)(c)').match('abc') # but when you add groups, you get bugs assert not compile('(?:(a)|(x))b(?<=(?(2)x c))c').match('abc') # matches! assert not compile('(?:(a) (x))b(?<=(?(2)b
msg109383 - (view) Author: andrew cooke (acooke) Date: 2010-07-06 10:30
I hope the above is clear enough (you need to stare at the regexps for a time) - basically, lookback with a group conditional is not as expected (it appears to be evaluated as lookahead?). Also, some patterns compile that probably shouldn't. The re package only supports (according to the docs) lookback on expressions whose length is known. So I guess it's also possible that (?(n)pat1|pat2) should always fail that, even when len(pat1) = len(pat2)? Also, the generally excellent unit tests for the re package don't have much coverage for lookback (I am writing my own regexp lib and it passes all the re unit tests but had a similar bug - that's how I found this one...).
msg109387 - (view) Author: andrew cooke (acooke) Date: 2010-07-06 13:08
If it's any help, these are the equivalent tests as I think they should be (you'll need to translate engine(parse(... to compile(...) http://code.google.com/p/rxpy/source/browse/rxpy/src/rxpy/engine/backtrack/_test/engine.py?r=fc52f6959a0cfabdddc6960f47d7380128bb3584#284
msg109388 - (view) Author: Mark Dickinson (mark.dickinson) * (Python committer) Date: 2010-07-06 13:30
Thanks very much for the reports. > So I guess it's also possible that (?(n)pat1|pat2) should always fail > that, even when len(pat1) = len(pat2)? Yes, this seems likely to me. Possibly even the compile stage should fail, though I've no idea how feasible it is to make that happen. Unfortunately I'm not sure that any of the currently active Python developers is particularly well versed in the intricacies of the re module. The most realistic option here may be just to document the restrictions on lookbehind assertions more clearly. Unless you're able to provide a patch?
msg109389 - (view) Author: andrew cooke (acooke) Date: 2010-07-06 13:47
I thought someone was working on the re module these days? I thought there I'd seen some issues with patches etc? Anyway, short term, sorry - no patch. Medium/long term, yes it's possible, but please don't rely on it. The simplest way to document it is as you suggest, I think - just extend the qualifier on lookback requiring fixed length to exclude references to groups (it does seem to *bind* groups correctly on lookback, so there's no need to exclude them completely).
msg109390 - (view) Author: Mark Dickinson (mark.dickinson) * (Python committer) Date: 2010-07-06 13:56
> I thought someone was working on the re module these days? Well, there's issue 2636. It doesn't seem likely that that work will land in core Python any time soon, though.
msg109399 - (view) Author: Matthew Barnett (mrabarnett) * (Python triager) Date: 2010-07-06 15:52
Should a regex compile if a group is referenced before it's defined? Consider this: (?:(?(2)(a)|(b))+ Other regex implementations permit forward references to groups. BTW, I had a look at the re module, found it too difficult, and so started on my own implementation of the matching engine (available on PyPI).
msg109400 - (view) Author: andrew cooke (acooke) Date: 2010-07-06 16:02
Ah good point, thanks.
msg227743 - (view) Author: Mark Lawrence (BreamoreBoy) * Date: 2014-09-28 00:12
Given the comment from Matthew Barnett in "...I had a look at the re module, found it too difficult..." can this be closed as "won't fix"?
msg229102 - (view) Author: Serhiy Storchaka (serhiy.storchaka) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-11 18:36
Here is a patch which fixes lookbacks with group references and with group conditionals. I have used Andrew's examples as the base for tests.
msg229917 - (view) Author: Serhiy Storchaka (serhiy.storchaka) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-24 12:03
The patch also fixes . If there are no objections I'll commit it soon.
msg230351 - (view) Author: Serhiy Storchaka (serhiy.storchaka) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-10-31 16:26
If there are no objections I'm going to commit the patch soon.
msg230825 - (view) Author: Roundup Robot (python-dev) (Python triager) Date: 2014-11-07 19:49
New changeset fac649bf2d10 by Serhiy Storchaka in branch '2.7': Issues #814253, #9179: Group references and conditional group references now https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/fac649bf2d10 New changeset 9fcf4008b626 by Serhiy Storchaka in branch '3.4': Issues #814253, #9179: Group references and conditional group references now https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/9fcf4008b626 New changeset 60fccf0aad83 by Serhiy Storchaka in branch 'default': Issues #814253, #9179: Group references and conditional group references now https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/60fccf0aad83
msg231889 - (view) Author: Serhiy Storchaka (serhiy.storchaka) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-11-30 15:30
The more I think about it, the more doubt. This patch added a behavior that is incompatible with the regex module. The regex module proceeds lookbehind assertions in the opposite direction, from right to left. This allows it to work with lookbehind assertions of non-fixed length. But the side effect is that in regex group reference in lookbehind assertion can refer only to a group defined right in the same lookbehind assertion (or defined left outside). In re now group reference in lookbehind assertion can refer only to a group defined left. This is likely to change in the future, which brings us to the problem of incompatibility. There are several quick ways to resolve the problem: 1) Rollback the patch and return to the previous non-working behavior. Because of the obvious non-working the problem with changing the implementation of lookbehind assertion in the future will be weaker. 2) Rollback the patch and emit a warning or error when using any group references in lookbehind assertion. Something like patch proposed by Greg Chapman in (but slightly more advanced). 3) Leave the patch and emit a warning or an error when using group references to the group defined in this same lookbehind assertion. Group references will work in lookbehind assertions in most cases except rare cases when current re behavior differs from regex behavior. What is your decision Benjamin? Here is a patch against 2.7 which implements variant 3.
msg231894 - (view) Author: Roundup Robot (python-dev) (Python triager) Date: 2014-11-30 16:52
New changeset d1f7c3f45ffe by Benjamin Peterson in branch '3.4': backout 9fcf4008b626 (#9179) for further consideration https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/d1f7c3f45ffe New changeset f385bc6e6e09 by Benjamin Peterson in branch 'default': merge 3.4 (#9179) https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/f385bc6e6e09 New changeset 8a3807e15a1f by Benjamin Peterson in branch '2.7': backout fac649bf2d10 (#9179) for further consideration https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/8a3807e15a1f
msg231895 - (view) Author: Benjamin Peterson (benjamin.peterson) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-11-30 16:52
I just backed out the change. Thanks for brining up the issue.
msg231897 - (view) Author: Serhiy Storchaka (serhiy.storchaka) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-11-30 17:55
What would be the best solution for 2.7? Here is a patch which forbids any group references in lookbehind assertions (they are not work currently and users shouldn't use them).
msg231900 - (view) Author: Benjamin Peterson (benjamin.peterson) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-11-30 18:52
On Sun, Nov 30, 2014, at 12:55, Serhiy Storchaka wrote: > > Serhiy Storchaka added the comment: > > What would be the best solution for 2.7? You can pick. I just always favor not changing things for release candidates. > > Here is a patch which forbids any group references in lookbehind > assertions (they are not work currently and users shouldn't use them).
msg231901 - (view) Author: Serhiy Storchaka (serhiy.storchaka) * (Python committer) Date: 2014-11-30 19:36
Updated documentation. If there are no objections I'll commit re_forbid_groupref_in_lookbehind-2.7_2.patch to 2.7 and 3.4. For 3.5 I prefer to add support of group references.
msg236358 - (view) Author: Roundup Robot (python-dev) (Python triager) Date: 2015-02-21 10:12
New changeset b78195af96f5 by Serhiy Storchaka in branch 'default': Issues #814253, #9179: Group references and conditional group references now https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/b78195af96f5 New changeset 5387095b8675 by Serhiy Storchaka in branch '2.7': Issues #814253, #9179: Warnings now are raised when group references and https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/5387095b8675 New changeset e295ad9be16d by Serhiy Storchaka in branch '3.4': Issues #814253, #9179: Warnings now are raised when group references and https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/e295ad9be16d
msg236359 - (view) Author: Serhiy Storchaka (serhiy.storchaka) * (Python committer) Date: 2015-02-21 10:19
Only warnings are raised in 2.7 and 3.4, so it will not break third party code that "works" by accident. In 3.5 only references to groups defined outside of lookbehind assertion work, so the behavior is compatible with regex.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:57:03 admin set github: 53425
2015-02-21 10:19:37 serhiy.storchaka set status: open -> closedresolution: fixedstage: patch review -> resolved
2015-02-21 10:19:07 serhiy.storchaka set messages: +
2015-02-21 10:12:03 python-dev set messages: +
2014-12-06 01:47:33 benjamin.peterson set priority: release blocker -> normal
2014-11-30 19:36:45 serhiy.storchaka set files: + re_forbid_groupref_in_lookbehind-2.7_2.patchmessages: +
2014-11-30 18:52:57 benjamin.peterson set messages: +
2014-11-30 17:55:22 serhiy.storchaka set files: + re_forbid_groupref_in_lookbehind-2.7.patchmessages: + stage: patch review
2014-11-30 16:52:43 benjamin.peterson set messages: +
2014-11-30 16:52:08 python-dev set messages: +
2014-11-30 15:30:57 serhiy.storchaka set status: closed -> openfiles: + re_forbid_some_groupref_in_lookbehind-2.7.patchnosy: + larry, benjamin.petersonstage: resolved -> (no value)messages: + resolution: fixed -> (no value)priority: normal -> release blocker
2014-11-07 21:27:30 serhiy.storchaka set status: open -> closedresolution: fixedstage: patch review -> resolved
2014-11-07 19:49:37 python-dev set nosy: + python-devmessages: +
2014-10-31 16:26:21 serhiy.storchaka set messages: +
2014-10-24 12:05:32 serhiy.storchaka link issue814253 superseder
2014-10-24 12:03:21 serhiy.storchaka set messages: +
2014-10-11 18:36:13 serhiy.storchaka set files: + re_getwidth.patchassignee: serhiy.storchakacomponents: + Regular Expressionsversions: + Python 3.4, Python 3.5, - Python 2.6, Python 3.1, Python 3.2keywords: + patchnosy: + ezio.melottimessages: + stage: patch review
2014-09-28 00:12:14 BreamoreBoy set nosy: + BreamoreBoy, serhiy.storchakamessages: +
2010-07-06 16:02:41 acooke set messages: +
2010-07-06 15:52:05 mrabarnett set messages: +
2010-07-06 13:56:16 mark.dickinson set messages: +
2010-07-06 13:47:53 acooke set messages: +
2010-07-06 13:31:43 mark.dickinson set versions: + Python 3.1, Python 2.7, Python 3.2
2010-07-06 13:30:20 mark.dickinson set nosy: + mark.dickinson, mrabarnettmessages: +
2010-07-06 13:08:29 acooke set messages: +
2010-07-06 10:30:28 acooke set messages: +
2010-07-06 10:23:32 acooke create