Replacing multiple strings

Question

I have an XML file with texts in a certain language and I need to traverse it and translate certain expressions. I was thinkging about creating an array containing the expressions and an array containing the replacements:

var searchFor = ['Foo', 'Bar'];
var replaceWith = ['Bar', 'Foo'];

Is there some way I can traverse the XML effectively replacing all items in the first array with the next?

xml.each(function(){
  $(this).text($(this).text().multiReplace(searchFor, replaceWith));
});

What I'm looking for is a javascript function that is equivalent to the PHP function str_replace that can take in an array for the first and second parameters: http://php.net/manual/en/function.str-replace.php

'FooBar'.multiReplace(searchFor,replaceWith); // should return 'BarFoo'

PS: Alternative solutions are also welcome.

glmxndr · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-26 11:42:41Z

1

For a very simple implementation, since you have jQuery you can use $.each inside you callback :

var txt = $(this).text();
$.each(searchFor, function(i,v){ 
    txt.replace(v, replaceWith[i]); 
});
$(this).text(txt);

If you want to swap values, you have to insert tokens that you are sure do not exist in your string. For instance, '##i##'. (Search for the regexp '##\d+##' in your string. If it exists, then add enclosing '#' and search again until you find a token that you know do not exist in the string.)

var txt = $(this).text();
var tokens = [];
$.each(searchFor, function(i,v){ 
    var token = "##" + i + "##";
    tokens.push(token);
    txt.replace(v, token); 
});
$.each(tokens, function(i,v){ 
    txt.replace(v, searchFor[i]); 
});
$(this).text(txt);

edited Sep 26, 2011 at 11:42

answered Sep 26, 2011 at 11:37

glmxndr

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1 Comment

Jørgen Over a year ago

Thanks, I like the solution, but I was hoping to acheive this without travering the text more than once.

Jørgen · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-26 12:58:17Z

1

I have found a solution that seems to work fine. I have extended the String object with the multiReplace function that takes a map of translations as a parameter and returns a new string with the replaced expressions.

String.prototype.multiReplace = function(translations){
  var regexStr = '';
    var result = '';
    for(var key in translations){
        regexStr += key + '|';
    }
    regexStr = '(' + regexStr.substring(0,regexStr.length-1) + ')';
    var rx = new RegExp(regexStr,'g');
    result = this.replace(rx, function(match){
        return translations[match.toLowerCase()];
    });
    return result;
}
    var translations = {
      'Foo':'Bar',
      'Bar':'Foo'
    };
    text = 'FooBarFooFooBarBarFooBarFooFoo';
    text = text.multiReplace(translations);
    // text = "BarFooBarBarFooFooBarFooBarBar"

edited Sep 26, 2011 at 12:58

answered Sep 26, 2011 at 12:37

Jørgen

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2 Comments

Andy E Over a year ago

This could break quite easily if you have regex special characters (like [ or () in your keys.

Jørgen Over a year ago

Thanks, didn't think about that :) An improvement would be to escape the keys in the multiReplace function, but I think I'll leave it as it is for now, as this is not going into production and I control the translations myself :)

Ernestas Stankevičius · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-26 11:39:12Z

0

I have this function like ~5 years already. I don't know where i got this.

function str_replace (search, replace, subject) {
    var result = "";
    var  oldi = 0;
    for (i = subject.indexOf (search); i > -1; i = subject.indexOf (search, i)) {
        result += subject.substring (oldi, i);
        result += replace;
        i += search.length;
        oldi = i;
    }
    return result + subject.substring (oldi, subject.length);
}

answered Sep 26, 2011 at 11:39

Ernestas Stankevičius

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4 Comments

Jørgen Over a year ago

Isn't this the same as the /g modifier, i.e. 'FooBar'.replace(/Foo/g, 'Bar'); ?

Ernestas Stankevičius Over a year ago

Dunno. But it does same what str_replace does.

Jørgen Over a year ago

Not if you send in arrays in the search and replace parameters :)

Ernestas Stankevičius Over a year ago

So only modification needed to make is chek is there arrays, if so, then replace acordinly.

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