re-search-backward bug

[Tom Wurgler <twurgler@goodyear.com>]

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In GNU Emacs 21.2.1 (hppa2.0w-hp-hpux11.00, Motif Version 2.1.0)
 of 2002-06-28 on rds294
configured using `configure  --cache-file=/dev/null --prefix=/home/rdstt1/t901353/local --x-includes=/usr/include/X11R6:/usr/contrib/X11R6/include --x-libraries=/usr/lib/X11R6:/usr/contrib/X11R6/lib --with-x-toolkit=motif'
Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: C
  locale-coding-system: nil
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

1) Have a decimal number in a buffer, for example:

1234.456

2) Have your cursor BEFORE the number
3) Do esc-x re-search-forward "[0-9]*\.[0-9]*"
   The complete number "1234.456" is found.
4) Now have the cursor start AFTER the number
5) Do esc-x re-search-backward "[0-9]*\.[0-9]*"
   It only matches back to the ".", specifically ".456"  

Why is going backward different than going forward?

Thanks for your help.
Tom


============================================================================
Tom Wurgler                             The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Principal Engineer                      Tire-Vehicle Engineering Technology
Phone:         330-796-1656             Technical Center D/460G            
Fax:           330-796-3292             P.O.Box 3531                       
internet mail: twurgler@goodyear.com    Akron, Ohio 44309-3531             
============================================================================


Recent input:
C-s C-w C-w C-s C-s C-s C-s C-s C-a <up> <C-up> C-s 
d i r e c C-s C-s C-s C-s C-s C-s C-a <f11> r o <backspace> 
h o w z SPC a b o u t SPC s u b w a y ? <return> C-c 
C-c x <f11> d d q <next> <f11> d q C-s C-s C-s C-s 
C-s C-s C-s C-s C-a C-x m e m a C-c k C-x m C-c k <escape> 
x e m a c s SPC b u SPC C-a r e p o r t - <tab> SPC 
<return>

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