Ruby forgets local variables during a while loop?

Question

I\'m processing a record-based text file: so I\'m looking for a starting string which constitutes the start of a record: there is no end-of-record marker, so I use the start

Answer 1

you can simply do this :

message=''

while line=gets do
   if line =~/hello/ then
      # begin a new record 
      p message unless message == ''
      message = String.new(line)
   else
     message << line
  end
end

# hello this is a record
# this is also part of the same record
# hello this is a new record
# this is still record 2
# hello this is record 3 etc etc