optimize after of known length to before w/ offset

This saves allocating and flipping a million or so bytes in rakudo compilation
just for the occasional <?after '>'> and such.  In fact, all of the afters in
nqp and rakudo are of known length, though one of them is just <?after .>.
We handle both dot and character classes, as well as any embedded anchors.

Author: TimToady

src/NQP/Actions.nqp

@@ -1888,9 +1888,20 @@ class NQP::RegexActions is QRegex::P6Regex::Actions {
                 for $<arglist>.ast.list { $qast[0].push( $_ ) }
             }
             elsif $<nibbler> {
-                $name eq 'after' ??
-                    $qast[0].push(self.qbuildsub(self.flip_ast($<nibbler>.ast), :anon(1), :addself(1))) !!
+                if $name eq 'after' {
+                    my int $litlen := self.offset_ast($<nibbler>.ast);
+                    if $litlen >= 0 {
+                        $qast[0][0].value('before');
+                        $qast[0].push(self.qbuildsub($<nibbler>.ast, :anon(1), :addself(1)));
+                        $qast[0].push(QAST::IVal.new( :value($litlen) ));  # optional offset to before
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        $qast[0].push(self.qbuildsub(self.flip_ast($<nibbler>.ast), :anon(1), :addself(1)));
+                    }
+                }
+                else {
                     $qast[0].push(self.qbuildsub($<nibbler>.ast, :anon(1), :addself(1)));
+                }
             }
         }
         make $qast;

src/QRegex/Cursor.nqp

@@ -512,13 +512,13 @@ role NQPCursorRole is export {
         $cur;
     }
 
-    method before($regex) {
+    method before($regex, $off = 0) {
         my int $orig_highwater := nqp::getattr_i($!shared, ParseShared, '$!highwater');
         my $orig_highexpect := nqp::getattr($!shared, ParseShared, '@!highexpect');
         nqp::bindattr($!shared, ParseShared, '@!highexpect', nqp::list_s());
         my $cur := self."!cursor_start_cur"();
-        nqp::bindattr_i($cur, $?CLASS, '$!pos', $!pos);
-        nqp::getattr_i($regex($cur), $?CLASS, '$!pos') >= 0 ??
+        nqp::bindattr_i($cur, $?CLASS, '$!pos', $!pos - $off);
+        $!pos >= $off && nqp::getattr_i($regex($cur), $?CLASS, '$!pos') >= 0 ??
             $cur."!cursor_pass"($!pos, 'before') !!
             nqp::bindattr_i($cur, $?CLASS, '$!pos', -3);
         nqp::bindattr_i($!shared, ParseShared, '$!highwater', $orig_highwater);

src/QRegex/P6Regex/Actions.nqp

@@ -566,9 +566,20 @@ class QRegex::P6Regex::Actions is HLL::Actions {
                 for $<arglist>.ast.list { $qast[0].push( $_ ) }
             }
             elsif $<nibbler> {
-                $name eq 'after' ??
-                    $qast[0].push(self.qbuildsub(self.flip_ast($<nibbler>.ast), :anon(1), :addself(1))) !!
+                if $name eq 'after' {
+                    my int $litlen := self.offset_ast($<nibbler>.ast);
+                    if $litlen >= 0 {
+                        $qast[0][0].value('before');
+                        $qast[0].push(self.qbuildsub($<nibbler>.ast, :anon(1), :addself(1)));
+                        $qast[0].push(QAST::IVal.new( :value($litlen) ));  # optional offset to before
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        $qast[0].push(self.qbuildsub(self.flip_ast($<nibbler>.ast), :anon(1), :addself(1)));
+                    }
+                }
+                else {
                     $qast[0].push(self.qbuildsub($<nibbler>.ast, :anon(1), :addself(1)));
+                }
             }
         }
         make $qast;
@@ -855,6 +866,29 @@ class QRegex::P6Regex::Actions is HLL::Actions {
         $ast.subtype('capture');
     }
 
+    method offset_ast($qast) {
+        return -1 unless nqp::istype($qast, QAST::Regex);
+        if $qast.rxtype eq 'literal' {
+            return nqp::chars($qast[0]);
+        }
+        elsif $qast.rxtype eq 'cclass' {
+            return 1;
+        }
+        elsif $qast.rxtype eq 'anchor' {
+            return 0;
+        }
+        elsif $qast.rxtype eq 'concat' {
+            my int $litlen;
+            for @($qast) {
+                my int $ll := self.offset_ast($_);
+                return -1 if $ll < 0;
+                $litlen := $litlen + $ll;
+            }
+            return $litlen;
+        }
+        return -1;
+    }
+ 
     method flip_ast($qast) {
         return $qast unless nqp::istype($qast, QAST::Regex);
         if $qast.rxtype eq 'literal' {