I want to replace some spaces between some parenthesis with regex. If I use regex only replace some spaces (only unique pairs).
The string may be have others spaces, but I want only the spaces between paranthesis.
var mystring = ") ) ) ) ) )";
console.log(mystring);
mystring = mystring.replace(/\)\s\)/g, "))");
console.log(mystring);
Output is:
) ) ) ) ) )
)) )) ))
But I want to have this output:
) ) ) ) ) )
))))))
The problem is that by consuming the ) ), you no longer have the leading ) when looking at the next part of the string.
Instead of replacing both ), use a positive lookahead assertion to replace only the first and the spaces after it if they're followed by another ):
mystring = mystring.replace(/\)\s(?=\))/g, ")");
// Lookahead ---^^^^^^ ^--- only one ) in replacement
Live Example:
var mystring = ") ) ) ) ) )";
console.log(mystring);
mystring = mystring.replace(/\)\s(?=\))/g, ")");
console.log(mystring);How about a lookbehind:
var mystring = ") ) ) ) ) )";
console.log(mystring);
mystring = mystring.replace(/(?<=\))\s(?=\))/g, "");
console.log(mystring);
Demo:
var mystring = ") ) ) ) ) )";
console.log(mystring);
mystring = mystring.replace(/(?<=\))\s(?=\))/g, "");
console.log(mystring);This will remove all spaces between ) )
Move the last ) to a positive lookahead and replace with a single ):
var mystring = ") ) ) ) ) )";
console.log(mystring);
mystring = mystring.replace(/\)\s+(?=\))/g, ")");
console.log(mystring); // => ))))))Pattern details
\) - a )\s+ - 1+ whitespaces(?=\)) - a positive lookahead that requires a ) immediately to the right of the current location (after 1+ whitespaces).