World: r3wp

print replace/all "abc{def" "{" "^^^{"

yes, seems right

The result is 8 bytes.

But
s: {this ^{ is a paren}
gives an error: ** Syntax Error: Invalid string

>> s: "this ^{ is a paren"
works ok.

works on 1.2.48.4.2 . what are you using?

1.2.57.3.1

I'm trying to build a string with rebol content inside (also strings). 
And I get into trouble. I think, it's a bug. Try this:
>> s: "^"abc^/def^}ghi^""
== {"abc
def^}ghi"}
>> to-block s
** Syntax Error: Invalid string -- "abc
** Near: (line 1) "abc

This works:
>> s: "^"abc^""
== {"abc"}
>> to-block s
== ["abc"]

so my example above should work too, right?

Looks like to-block isn't noticing the carat:
>> to-block "^{}"
== [""]
>> to-block "^{"
** Syntax Error: Invalid string -- {
** Near: (line 1) {

I don't think, you can have a block with only a '{' inside. REBOL 
will think of it as the start of a string. If you put '{' in between 
"", you don't have to use caret, but you can:
>> to-block "^{^}"
== [""]
>> to-block "{}"
== [""]

I think, my problem start, when I have a newline before a '{':
>> to-block "^"^/{^""
** Syntax Error: Invalid string -- "
** Near: (line 1) "

Because this works:
>> to-block "^"{^""
== ["{"]

I figure, the problem is with strings, not with to-block or any other 
command.

Probably because the caret can be used even in strings and used for 
line termination formatting etc..

I would be ok with reporting this to RAMBO, but would like to be 
sure, it's a bug first. (I don't like too much in RAMBO, if it's 
not a bug anyway.)

Can you give an example of your input and final desired output ?

Input:

Input: "^"^/{^""

That's a string with 4 bytes: A ", then a newline, a { and another 
".
Operation: to-block
Desired output: ["^/{"]

That's a block with a string, that consists of 2 bytes: a newline 
and a {.

If this can be solved, then I can solve my other problems, I think. 
(Same goes with } btw.)

Maybe it's easier to see, if I use binary:
>> b: #{220A7B22}	; That's my input string as binary.
Try these:
>> to-string b
>> to-block b
The last one will fail, but it should give me:
== ["^/{"]

>> s: input
^/{
== {"^^/^{"}
>> to-block s
== ["^/{"]
>> print s
^/{
>> print to-block s

{
>>

Is that what you want?

I guess as soon as you have a newline in your string you should start 
the string with { and not with "

Interesting!

I would just think, that I should write the string like this then:
>> s: {"^/^{"}
but that's not a string for some reason!?

Thanks sqlab. I'll see, if your way can solve my problem, when I 
get home later today.

Why do you think, that this is no string?

>> s: "^/{"
== "^/{"
>> type? s
== string!

It's the molded representation of an internal string

Try it!

You get a new line with { in the beginning. That's REBOL way to tell 
you, you haven't finished your string. Like this:
>> s: {"^/^{"}
{

if I put in a } to finish the string, I get:
{    }
** Syntax Error: Invalid string -- }
** Near: (line 2) }

I see, the problem arises when you type it.

I would initially think, that {"^/^{"} would be a valid string with 
4 chars inside. 2 ", 1 newline and one {, but it isn't.

Did you check if it is the same behaviour when loading from a file?

yes

I have seen different behaviour from typing in the console and loading 
from a file

for example
>> func: [;  []]
** Syntax Error: Missing ] at end-of-script
** Near: (line 1) func: [;  []]
>>

eFishAnt, yes that's a string. I'm trying to build REBOL content 
within a string, so I have to figure out how to type strings within 
strings.

maybe you can use 
inp:  ["^/{"]
append your-string   inp

Seems not to work

Not really. I start with a string:
output: make string! 10000

then I go into a parse, where I build REBOL content within my output 
string. Sometimes I have to append a string (as a string) to output, 
and it fails, when I have newlines and { like characters.

I can't start with a block, because I can't append the start of a 
block to a block. I have to append a whole block to a block, and 
I don't know the full content of the block. So I start with a string.

What do you mean with appending the start of a block to a block?

appending a [

You can with '[

like:
>> blk: []
== []
>> append blk '[

No, I can't. Try it!

I have to check in a script I did short before and I thought I did 
something similar

>> append [] to-lit-word "["
== ['[]

append [] to-word "["
== [[]

t: append [] to-lit-word "["
== ['[]
>> reduce t
== [[]
>> or compose etc

Oki doki! :-)

I then just save my result to disk (because I can't use it directly, 
as those [ and ] are words (and not a real block). After reload of 
the result from disk, it should be real REBOL, right? Would be great, 
if I could build in a block and not a string.

Yes, that's how I try to compose some rules.