"align" -- Is there a repository of alignment patterns / rules?

Is there a repository of patterns or rules to be used with `align`? I'm frequently tempted to dig in and write something but I usually end up just doing it by hand.

Your question is missing some context. :)

Other than `align-rules-list` you mean? Because there's a bunch of use-cases defined there. But I imagine you're well aware of that already. I'm not aware of anything external (but I've also never gone hunting for such a thing).

Yes. Every time I try `align`, it does nothing. In today's case, I have code using Ruby's old style of hash because the keys are strings. The original table looked like: ```ruby Header = { "Type:Bank" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Type:Cash" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Type:CCard" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Type:Invst" => [ InvestmentFields, Investment], "Type:Oth A" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Type:Oth L" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Account" => [ AccountFields, Account], "Type:Cat" => [ CategoryFields, Category ], "Type:Class" => [ ClassFields, Klass], "Type:Memorized" => [ MemorizedFields, Memorized], "Type:Security" => [ SecurityFields, Security], "Type:Budget" => [ BudgetFields, Budget], "Type:Payee" => [ PayeeFields, Payee], "Type:Prices" => [ PricesFields, Price], "Option:AutoSwitch" => NoFields, "Option:AllXfr" => NoFields, "Clear:AutoSwitch" => NoFields }.freeze ``` rather than ```ruby Header = { "Type:Bank" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Type:Cash" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Type:CCard" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Type:Invst" => [ InvestmentFields, Investment], "Type:Oth A" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Type:Oth L" => [ NoninvestmentFields, Noninvestment], "Account" => [ AccountFields, Account], "Type:Cat" => [ CategoryFields, Category ], "Type:Class" => [ ClassFields, Klass], "Type:Memorized" => [ MemorizedFields, Memorized], "Type:Security" => [ SecurityFields, Security], "Type:Budget" => [ BudgetFields, Budget], "Type:Payee" => [ PayeeFields, Payee], "Type:Prices" => [ PricesFields, Price], "Option:AutoSwitch" => NoFields, "Option:AllXfr" => NoFields, "Clear:AutoSwitch" => NoFields }.freeze ``` For me personally, `align` does nothing almost every time I try it. It just seems like over the years, there would be a huge repository of great language specific patterns.

I'm pretty sure "language specific" would be too vague, as there are often several viable ways to align stuff in any given language. On the other hand, `align-regexp` & other such functions already exist; using your example and calling it on the regexp `=>` aligns the "arrows" as needed; a second call with *e.g.* `\w+\ *\]` (space included to match the 8th entry, where "Category" has a space after it before the closing square bracket) aligns the keys of the hash-table. It *might* be long; but it really is not that long once you get used to Emacs regexp (which are slightly different from some other, well-known ones) and the way `align(-regexp)` works.

Yea. I probably need to take the time to learn, just once, how to write a pattern. That would probably help with `align-regexp` too since it is probably the same concepts. I'm fine with regular expressions although I often need to run to the documentation for the lesser used constructs. Thanks!