re = /^>\s+(\S+(?:\s\S+)*)/m
str = '> this is a quote that
runs
for multiple
lines
but you need the pattern to stop matching when the quote
is finished. Perhaps force your pattern to stop matching when it encounters 2 consecutive whitespace characters.
> Quote before a double space!
The ^ in the pattern says that that quotes will only be recognized if the > is at the start of the a line. e.g. This > is not a quote, it is being used as a greater sign.
> End with a quote'
subst = '<blockquote><h3>Quote</h3><p>$1</p></blockquote>'
result = str.gsub(re, subst)
# Print the result of the substitution
puts result
Please keep in mind that these code samples are automatically generated and are not guaranteed to work. If you find any syntax errors, feel free to submit a bug report. For a full regex reference for Ruby, please visit: http://ruby-doc.org/core-2.2.0/Regexp.html