Javascript regex help

Question

I have the following string in JavaScript

  var mystring = " abcdef(p,q); check(x,y); cef(m,n);"

I would want to do a string replace such that my final string is :

  mystring = " abcdef(p,q); someothercheck\(x,y\); cef(m,n);"

x and y should remain same after the substitution. and the backslashes are necessary since I need to pass them to some other command.

There can be other Parantheses in the string too.

Why a regex? Just string-replace " check" with " someothercheck" and "(" with "\(" and ")" with "\)". — Kerrek SB
– Kerrek SB, Commented Aug 13, 2011 at 14:57
like mystring.replace('check','somothercheck').replace('(','\\(').replace(')','\\)'); jsfiddle.net/ytnRx — stecb
– stecb, Commented Aug 13, 2011 at 15:00
I have edited the question . Please see that paranthses are present elsewhere and @stebs method won't work. — Saket Choudhary
– Saket Choudhary, Commented Aug 13, 2011 at 15:41

user278064 · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-13 16:54:52Z

4

If you don't have other parenthesis, it should be easy.

mystring = mystring.replace("check(", "someothercheck\\(");
mystring = mystring.replace(")", "\\)");

EDIT This works also in the case of multiple parenthesis (It does not affect the empty ones). var str=" abcdef; check(x,y); cef();" patt = /((\w)/g;

// transform (x in \(x
str = str.replace(patt, '\\($1');

patt = /(\w)\)/g

// transform y) in y\);
str = str.replace(patt,  '$1\\)');

// transform check in someothercheck
str = str.replace('check', 'someothercheck');

EDIT Now it converts only the check strings.

function convertCheck(str, check, someOtherCheck) {
   // console.log(str + " contains " + check + "? ");
   // console.log(str.indexOf(check));

   if (str.indexOf(check) === -1) return str;
   var patt1 = /\((\w)/g,
   patt2 = /(\w)\)/g; 

   str = str.replace(patt1, '\\($1');
   str = str.replace(patt2,  '$1\\)');
   str = str.replace(check, someOtherCheck);

   return str;
}

var str = "abcdef(); check(x,y); cef();",
    tokens = str.split(';');
for (var i = 0; i < tokens.length; i++) {
   tokens[i] = convertCheck(tokens[i], "check", "someothercheck");
}
str = tokens.join(";");

alert(str);  // "abcdef(); someothercheck/(x,y/); cef();"

edited Aug 13, 2011 at 16:54

answered Aug 13, 2011 at 14:58

user278064

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5 Comments

Pablo Fernandez Over a year ago

Don't take him literally. Consider someothercheck as an example

Saket Choudhary Over a year ago

I have edited the question.There are other parantheses in the string too.

aalku Over a year ago

@Pablo, Don't take him (@user278064) literally. Consider the answer as an example.

Saket Choudhary Over a year ago

@user270349 I am sorry my question wasn't clear ! I need to check it with the string : "func1(a,b,c); func2(a,v,b); check (x,y); cef(c,d)"

aalku Over a year ago

It wasn't me, it was @user278064

Pablo Fernandez · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-13 15:00:35Z

2

var myString = "abcdef; check(x,y); cef;";

myString.replace(/(\w+)\(/, 'someother$1(')
        .replace(/\(/g, '\\(')
        .replace(/\)/g, '\\)')

answered Aug 13, 2011 at 15:00

Pablo Fernandez

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1 Comment

Saket Choudhary Over a year ago

I have edited the question. We need to take into account that there are other parantheses in the string too.

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