Regex replace only inside a pattern

Question

I want to replace all dashes that are inside square brackets but leave the ones that aren't.

String: dont-change-this[only-change-inside-brackets]

Result: dont-change-this[only_change_inside_brackets]

The way I'm currently doing it is by capturing everything in the square brackets and then replacing.

regex = /(\[([a-z-]+)\])/
testString = "dont-change-this[only-change-inside-brackets]"

testString.match regex
testString.sub(regex, $1.gsub(/-/, '_'))

It works, but I was wondering if there is a way to do this in just one expression.

hirolau · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-05 08:35:03Z

5

You can use sub (or gsub) with a block:

my_string.sub(/\[.*?\]/){|x|x.tr('-','_')}

edited Nov 5, 2013 at 8:35

answered Nov 5, 2013 at 8:27

hirolau

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Comments

Sonu Oommen · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-05 08:58:37Z

0

Its a suggestion and i dont think its an ideal way, but you can actually split the sentence and then match the second element of the array returned.

2.0.0p247 :079 > str = "dont-change-this[only-change-inside-brackets]"
=> "dont-change-this[only-change-inside-brackets]"
2.0.0p247 :080 > s = str.split("[")
=> ["dont-change-this", "only-change-inside-brackets]"] 
2.0.0p247 :081 > s[1].gsub(/-/, '_')
=> "only_change_inside_brackets]"

answered Nov 5, 2013 at 8:58

Sonu Oommen

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