How do I split words in a String with JavaScript regex?

Question

I have the String "Edit[user]", but I need get "Edit" and later "user".

How can I do it? Any help would be useful.

Of course I need do it with JavaScript regex.

This is a fairly basic regex - check out regular-expressions.info/quickstart.html for getting started with regular expressions. — CorrugatedAir
– CorrugatedAir, Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 15:09
are you saying you need to do it with a regexp because that's a requirement, or because you don't know any other way to go about it? — Codasaurus
– Codasaurus, Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 15:09
What exactly is allowed between the brackets? Only letters? Whitespace? Any other characters? — Tim Pietzcker
– Tim Pietzcker, Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 15:11

Default · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-11 15:20:22Z

4

var regex = /(.+)\[(.+)\]/;
var str = "Edit[user]";
regex.exec(str); // will return ["Edit[user]", "Edit", "user"]

Or you could do it this way with the String#split method:

var str = "Edit[user]";
str.split(/\[(.+)\]/); // will return ["Edit", "user"]

answered Apr 11, 2013 at 15:12

Default

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Comments

Mark Withers · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-11 15:12:46Z

0

What you are looking for is grouping. I'll quickly explain how these work in JavaScript and leave the actual Regular Expression up to you.

var myString = "cat dog frog";
var myRegexp = /(cat).*(frog)/g;
var match = myRegexp.exec(myString);

match will be an array, index 0 will have the whole match, and any others will have the contents of the groups.

match[0] = "cat dog frog"
match[1] = "cat"
match[2] = "frog"

answered Apr 11, 2013 at 15:12

Mark Withers

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