// works on lists and strings and null

static int indexOfIgnoreCase(Object a, Object b) {
  if (a == null) return -1;
  if (a instanceof String) {
     Matcher m = Pattern.compile((String) b, Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE + Pattern.LITERAL).matcher((String) a);
     if (m.find()) return m.start(); else return -1;
  }
  if (a instanceof List) {
    for (int i = 0; i < ((List) a).size(); i++) {
      Object o = ((List) a).get(i);
      if (o != null && ((String) o).equalsIgnoreCase((String) b))
        return i;
    }
    return -1;
  }
  throw fail("Unknown type: " + a);
}