java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: Illegal repetition near index

Question

I am using Java8 and would like to use the following Regex to filter an address from a string, but I get this error:

Error

Exception in thread "main" java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: Illegal repetition near index 18
(\d+\s*(\w+ ){1,2}${(?i)\b(street|st|road|rd|avenue|ave|drive|dr|loop|court|ct|circle|cir|lane|ln|boulevard|blvd|way)\.?\b}(\s+${(?i)\b(apt|bldg|dept|fl|hngr|lot|pier|rm|ste|slip|trlr|unit|#)\.? *[a-z0-9-]+\b})?)|(${/P\.? ?O\.? *Box +\d+})
                  ^

Code

private static final String REGEX_ROAD = "(?i)\\b(street|st|road|rd|avenue|ave|drive|dr|loop|court|ct|circle|cir|lane|ln|boulevard|blvd|way)\\.?\\b";
private static final String REGEX_APT = "(?i)\\b(apt|bldg|dept|fl|hngr|lot|pier|rm|ste|slip|trlr|unit|#)\\.? *[a-z0-9-]+\\b";
private static final String REGEX_POBOX = "/P\\.? ?O\\.? *Box +\\d+";

private static final String REGEX_STREET = "(\\d+\\s*(\\w+ ){1,2}${"+REGEX_ROAD+"}(\\s+${"+REGEX_APT+"})?)|(${"+REGEX_POBOX+"})";

    input = input.replaceAll(REGEX_STREET, "<ADDRESS>");

Any help appreciated.

Entire Class:

package com.jobs.spring.service.replace;

public class ReplaceServiceImpl implements ReplaceService {

    private static final String REGEX_ROAD = "(?i)\\b(street|st|road|rd|avenue|ave|drive|dr|loop|court|ct|circle|cir|lane|ln|boulevard|blvd|way)\\.?\\b";
    private static final String REGEX_APT = "(?i)\\b(apt|bldg|dept|fl|hngr|lot|pier|rm|ste|slip|trlr|unit|#)\\.? *[a-z0-9-]+\\b";
    private static final String REGEX_POBOX = "/P\\.? ?O\\.? *Box +\\d+";

    private static final String REGEX_STREET = "(\\d+\\s*(\\w+ ){1,2}${"+REGEX_ROAD+"}(\\s+${"+REGEX_APT+"})?)|(${"+REGEX_POBOX+"})";

    @Override
    public String removePII(String input) {
        input = input.replaceAll(REGEX_STREET, "<ADDRESS>");
        return input;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        ReplaceService rep = new ReplaceServiceImpl();
        System.out.println(rep.removePII("1234 Flex Road and 21 happy street"));
    }
}

Remove ${ and the next } after it, that is enough to build a pattern dynamically. — Wiktor Stribiżew
– Wiktor Stribiżew, Commented May 18, 2017 at 10:36
Why don't you appreciate the effort others put in your question and accept the answer? — kism3t
– kism3t, Commented May 18, 2017 at 10:52
It doesn't allow me to accept the answer for the first 10 minutes. — Richard
– Richard, Commented May 18, 2017 at 10:54

Wiktor Stribiżew · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-18 10:48:18Z

9

Java does not support string interpolation, the ${...} JavaScript-like template literal placeholders are not supported and are treated as literal symbols.

Since $ means the end of a string and is a zero-width assertion, it should not be quantified. However, Java regex engine is lenient to the user and allows the usage of a quantifier with a zero-width assertion (you may use ${5} although it makes no sense, there can only be a single end of a string at a given position).

The major problem here is that { (start of a limiting quantifier) must be followed with a number denoting the number of repetitions and if there is a symbol other than a digit, anything but a number followed with } or ,MAX_REPEATITION_VALUE}, the Illegal repetition error will show up.

So, just remove ${ and }.

String REGEX_STREET = "(\\d+\\s*(\\w+ ){1,2}"+REGEX_ROAD+"(\\s+"+REGEX_APT+")?)|("+REGEX_POBOX+")";

See the Java demo.

edited May 18, 2017 at 10:48

answered May 18, 2017 at 10:43

Wiktor Stribiżew

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