bug#3001: 23.0.92; doc for regexp construct (?:

[Stefan Monnier]

> Emacs calls regexp groups that use the grouping construct "(?:" "shy
> groups".  I don't get the impression that that is a common term for
> this construct, outside Emacs.

IIRC I did not invent the term, instead I took it from Perl.  But I must
admit that I cannot find that term in "man perlre", so I'm not sure
where precisely I found it.  It's just the name had'd heard used to
describe this feature of Perl.  Maybe XEmacs's use of the term was an
influence as well.

> Googling "shy group" shows only Emacs hits.

Indeed, it does, yet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_regular_expression_engines
has "shy groups" in its chart.  Indeed googling « "shy groups" perl »
should more than 500 hits, whereas « "shy groups" emacs » shows less
than 200.


        Stefan