Google script search and replace regex

Question

Im trying to run a very basic Google Script on a document. docBody = docBody.replaceText(searchStr, replaceStr);

It works perfectly when the searchStr = 'Name' for example, but when I try to replace '[Name]' the script hangs and produces garbage in the document. I realise that the searchStr parameter is a regular expression and I have tried :

\[Name\]

/\[Name\]/g

(\[Name\])

All with no success...

Any suggestions?

I've read elsewhere that you may need to double-escape the square brackets even in single-quoted strings. I'm not sure I believe this, but it's worth a shot. — Andrew Cheong
– Andrew Cheong, Commented Oct 30, 2012 at 19:47

Andrew Cheong · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-30 19:43:14Z

2

If you're doing

searchStr = '\[Name\]';

then that should work, without slashes, without modifiers, without groups. If you're using double-quotes, make sure to double-escape:

searchStr = "\\[Name\\]";

answered Oct 30, 2012 at 19:43

Andrew Cheong

30.4k17 gold badges103 silver badges173 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

Andre J Over a year ago

Double quotes with double slashes did it, single quotes with single slashes not.. Thanks a mil!

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Google script search and replace regex

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related