splitting a string in Javascript into an array of embedded numbers

Question

I'm trying to split a string into an array, where any numbers are split separately:

function mysplit(s) { ??? }

// What I want to have happen is this:
//
// mysplit('ABC12DEF678IJ') --> ['ABC',12,'DEF',678,'IJ']
// mysplit('ABCD123') --> ['ABCD',123]
// mysplit('Eeyore') --> ['Eeyore']

The only way I think I can do this is to use the function form of regex replace, using mutable state as the array, but that seems ugly. (See below TBD since that's the way I'm going to try to do it by default.)

Is there an easier way?

Anirudh Ramanathan · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-12 17:04:38Z

5

Using String.split() itself but with separator retention.

'ABC12DEF678IJ'.split(/(\d+)/);
["ABC", "12", "DEF", "678", "IJ"]

'ABCD123'.split(/(\d+)/)
["ABCD", "123", ""] //tiny issue. ;)

'Eeyore'.split(/(\d+)/)
["Eeyore"]

If separator contains capturing parentheses, matched results are returned in the array.

answered Dec 12, 2012 at 17:04

Anirudh Ramanathan

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Comments

Ry- · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-12 17:06:22Z

3

match can do it just fine:

function mysplit(s) {
    return s.match(/\d+|\D+/g);
}

No tiny issue :)

answered Dec 12, 2012 at 17:06

Ry-♦

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3 Comments

Jason S Over a year ago

ooh ahh, I think we have a winner (will accept once the timeout is done)

Jason S Over a year ago

Ooh, I like it except that I have to convert the string numbers to numbers.

Ry- Over a year ago

@JasonS: If you get to use the ES5 array extensions: return s.match(/\d+|\D+/g).map(function(x) { var n = parseInt(x); return isNaN(n) ? x : n; });

Jason S · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-12 17:24:40Z

1

For reference here is my original approach, it doesn't look too bad:

function numsplit(s)
{
    var a = [];
    s.replace(/([0-9]+)|([^0-9]+)/g, function(g) {
        a.push(isNaN(g) ? g : (+g));
    });
    return a;
}

edited Dec 12, 2012 at 17:24

answered Dec 12, 2012 at 17:05

Jason S

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