CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptgoogle-apps-script
AkiRoss
AkiRoss

Reputation: 12273

regex not matching in findText()

I was trying to change color to some text in a document, and I required regexp. So, I tried the function findText to search where my text is in the selected text, but I am having some troubles matching the regexps.

Look at this sample script

function onOpen() {
  DocumentApp.getUi().createMenu('Test')
      .addItem('Find regex in sel', 'findRegex'))
      .addToUi();
}

function findRegex() {
    var ui = DocumentApp.getUi();
    var selection = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getSelection();
    var txt = selection.getSelectedElements()[0].getElement().asText();
    var inp = ui.prompt('Regex to search:').getResponseText();
    var regex = new RegExp(inp);
    ui.alert('Found in "' + txt.getText()
           + '"\n  Re: ' + txt.findText(regex)
           + '\n  In: ' + txt.findText(inp));
}

This prompts for something to search, then builds a regex out of it. Then both the regex and the original string are used to search in the selected text.

Well, I do not know what to do to get the regex matching: I am always getting null: if the text to be searched is "foobarbaz", and I input foo, only the plain string matches. If instead I input /foo/, clearly nothing matches.

How should I use regexps to search using findText? Consider that I have to "compose" regex, like /foobar/ + /\d+/, where foobar is the user-entered pattern.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 535

Answers (1)

AkiRoss
AkiRoss

Reputation: 12273

Ok, I think to have found the crux: the regexp passed to findText is always a String object, even if it have a regexp inside.

I tried searching "fo+" in the text "fooo" and it matched correctly.

Upvotes: 3

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