match_data_usage

🪄 Extract Data with MatchData Object

The MatchData object provides rich information about a match: captures, positions, and named groups. Use MatchData#captures, #to_s, and #pre_match/#post_match for full context.

md = /User:(\w+),(\d+)/.match('User:alice,30')
md[1]           # => "alice"
md.captures     # => ["alice","30"]
md.pre_match    # => ""
md.post_match   # => ""

Inspecting MatchData helps debug complex patterns and extract exactly what you need.