Java format word in string

Question

For example I have a text file that contains the contents of each line of a book, I have a java program to search for a particular word in those lines from the book.

This is the program:

import java.io.File;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Scanner;


public class AliceSearch {


    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {

        ArrayList<String> aiw = new ArrayList<String>();
        ArrayList<String> matches = new ArrayList<String>();
        Scanner scan = new Scanner(new File("aiw.txt"));
        Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

        while (scan.hasNext()){
            aiw.add(scan.nextLine());
        }

        String searchTerm;

        System.out.print("Please Input Search Parameter : ");

        searchTerm = input.nextLine();

        boolean itemFound = false;

        String currItem = null;

        for(int i = 0; i<aiw.size(); i++  ) {
            currItem = (String)aiw.get(i);

            if (currItem.contains(searchTerm)) {

                matches.add(currItem);

                itemFound = true;

            }
        }

        System.out.println("");

        if ( itemFound == false ) {

            System.out.println ( "No results containing "+searchTerm );

        }else{

            System.out.println ( "We Found the following results : " );

            for(int r = 0; r < matches.size(); r++){
                System.out.println("");
                System.out.println(matches.get(r));
            }
        }

        scan.close();
        input.close();

    }

}

I would like the searchTerm from each resultant line to be in uppercase when outputed (or when placed in the matches ArrayList). How would i go about this? I know that you use .toUpperCase(); but I do not now how i can change one word in a string of words.

Thanks in advance!

Can you use String.replaceAll method like myString.replaceAll("abc", "ABC") — Hitman47
– Hitman47, Commented Jan 14, 2013 at 14:07
No, replace is the right choice. replaceAll involves regular expressions, which OP doesn't need. — Marko Topolnik
– Marko Topolnik, Commented Jan 14, 2013 at 14:11
He means, you want to replace both "city" and "City" with "CITY". — Marko Topolnik
– Marko Topolnik, Commented Jan 14, 2013 at 14:19

jlordo · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-14 14:13:18Z

2

Instead of outputting it the way you do it right now:

System.out.println(matches.get(r));

can't you use

System.out.println(matches.get(r).replace(searchTerm, searchTerm.toUpperCase()));

Here is the JavaDoc for the replace() method used to replace the found word with it's uppercase version. It would be better to have

String uppercase = searchTerm.toUpperCase();

outside of the loop and then use

System.out.println(matches.get(r).replace(searchTerm, uppercase));

edited Jan 14, 2013 at 14:13

answered Jan 14, 2013 at 14:06

jlordo

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Marko Topolnik · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-14 14:06:07Z

1

There is a method on String that should fit your use case exactly:

line.replace(word, word.toUpperCase());

answered Jan 14, 2013 at 14:06

Marko Topolnik

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Comments

Audrius Meškauskas · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-14 14:46:53Z

0

This can be easily done using replace functionality of the pattern. We surely also need to highlight the partially capitalized words (start of the sentence, for instance), so need to create a Pattern with flags, cannot just use String.replaceAll():

 Pattern highlight = Pattern.compile(
   Pattern.quote(word), Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE | Pattern.UNICODE_CASE );
 String hw = word.toUpperCase();
 line = highlight.matcher(line).replaceAll(hw);

The first two lines should be prepared in advance as soon as the word is known. There is no need to recompute them newly for every found line. Pattern.quote quotes reserved characters so they will be given no special meaning.

edited Jan 14, 2013 at 14:46

answered Jan 14, 2013 at 14:06

Audrius Meškauskas

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3 Comments

Marko Topolnik Over a year ago

This is overly verbose. Why not simply "(?i)word". For extra safety, run word through Pattern.quote.

Audrius Meškauskas Over a year ago

Yes, this way is also possible.

Audrius Meškauskas Over a year ago

Pattern.quote makes a lot of sense

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