javascript case-insensitive replace method?

Question

is there a way to replace a word with another within a page but case-insensitive so that it replaces every word, but also keeps the origianl case of the word it has just replaced? I am currently using this method of which is case-sensitive.

document.body.innerHTML = document.body.innerHTML.replace(/hello/g, 'hi');

+1 for this complication: but also keeps the origianl case of the word it has just replaced — Hanky Panky
– Hanky Panky, Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 4:40
You have to use a custom replace callback function that can examine what is being replaced in order to adjust the case of the text to replace it with accordingly. — jfriend00
– jfriend00, Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 4:42
If you just wanted to replace Hello with Hi and hello with hi, you could do .replace(/(h|H)ello/g, '$1i'). But of course that's not a general solution. — Felix Kling
– Felix Kling, Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 4:50
This doesn't make a lot of sense when the words are of different length (just like your example, but probably more-so when the example is reversed) — RossBille
– RossBille, Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 4:51
Proof of concept for replace using a callback function: jsfiddle.net/wolfemm/8e6At — wolfemm
– wolfemm, Commented Jul 18, 2014 at 5:07

jsuna · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-18 05:09:02Z

1

add an i after g ... /hello/gi means greedy, case insensitive.. ahh missed the keeps the case part...that gets a bit more complicated..

var matches1 = document.getElementById('test').innerHTML.match(/hello/g);
var matches2 = document.getElementById('test').innerHTML.match(/Hello/g);
for(var i=0;i<matches1.length;i++){
  document.getElementById('test').innerHTML =  document.getElementById('test').innerHTML.replace(matches1[i], 'hi');
}
for(var i=0;i<matches2.length;i++){
   document.getElementById('test').innerHTML =  document.getElementById('test').innerHTML.replace(matches2[i], 'Hi');
}

Haven't tested it but that should work..

EDIT: /\shello\s/ didn't work with \s's here's a fiddle.. http://jsfiddle.net/w44u6/

EDIT2: Give @Felix Kling a cookie!

document.getElementById('test').innerHTML = document.getElementById('test').innerHTML.replace(/hello/g, 'hi').replace(/Hello/g, 'Hi');

works as well and is much shorter! example in the same fiddle!

edited Jul 18, 2014 at 5:09

answered Jul 18, 2014 at 4:40

jsuna

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3 Comments

Hanky Panky Over a year ago

but also keeps the origianl case of the word it has just replaced

Felix Kling Over a year ago

Why the loops instead of document.body.innerHTML = document.body.innerHTML.replace(/\shello\s/g, 'hi').replace(/\sHello\s/g, 'Hi'); ?

jsuna Over a year ago

@Felix - yup, much better solution!

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