uscode.rb

class USCode
  SEARCH_ENDPOINT = "http://uscode.house.gov/uscode-cgi/fastweb.exe?search"
  @@search_params = {
      :view    => "uscview",
      :db2     => "t01t04" ,
      :db3     => "t05t08" ,
      :db4     => "t09t12" ,
      :db5     => "t13t16" ,
      :db6     => "t17t20" ,
      :db7     => "t21t25" ,
      :db8     => "t26t28" ,
      :db9     => "t29t32" ,
      :db10    => "t33t36" ,
      :db11    => "t37t40" ,
      :db12    => "t41t42" ,
      :db13    => "t43t44" ,
      :db14    => "t45t48" ,
      :db15    => "t49t50" ,
      :db16    => "usclass",
      :db17    => "uscnst" ,
      :db18    => "usctbls",
      :query   => ""       ,
      :query0  => ''       ,    # title
      :query1  => ''       ,    # section
      :query3  => ''       ,
      :query11 => ''       ,
      :query4  => ''       ,
      :query6  => ''       ,
      :query5  => ''       ,
      :query7  => ''       ,
      :query8  => ''       ,
      :query9  => ''       ,
      :query_rule => "(($query)) [ AND ((($query0)) ADJ USC):CITE][ AND (USC w/10 (($query1))):CITE] [AND (SUBTITLE ADJ (($query3))):EXPCITE] [AND (CHAPTER ADJ (($query4))):EXPCITE] [AND (SUBCHAPTER ADJ (($query5))):EXPCITE] [AND (PART ADJ (($query6))):EXPCITE] [AND (SUBPART ADJ (($query7))):EXPCITE] [AND (RULE* ADJ (($query8))):CITE] [AND (FORM* ADJ (($query9))):CITE] [AND (($query10)):CITE] [AND (DIVISION ADJ (($query11))):EXPCITE]",
      :operation  => "simplesearch",
      :numresults => 100
  }

  attr_reader :name_of_law
  
  # USCode.new('42 USC 3789g')
  def initialize(standard_statute)
    standard_statute =~ /^(\d+) USC ([\dA-Za-z-]+)/
    @@search_params[:query0] = @title   = $1
    @@search_params[:query1] = @section = $2
  end
  
  def search
    return unless @title && @section
    html         = Nokogiri::HTML(RestClient.post(SEARCH_ENDPOINT, @@search_params))
    result       = html.css('pre').text
    result       =~ (/Sec. #{@section}\. (.+)?(?:\n|$)/)
    @name_of_law = $1 ? $1.strip : nil
  end
end