CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptregex
user3622030
user3622030

Reputation:

Replace multiple slashes in text with single slash with Javascript

I have this string

we have two papers // two handbags /// three bags //// four bottles

I want it to become

we have two papers / two handbags / three bags / four bottles

I have tried string.replace(///g, '/') but it doesn't work

It returns a syntax error.

Upvotes: 14

Views: 16001

Answers (4)

gene b.
gene b.

Reputation: 11974

let txtNew = txtOrig.replace(/\/{2,}/g, "/");

This means 2 or more instances of slashes //, ///, etc. -> single /

I like this a bit more because the other ways can be confusing. I don't want to make it seem like I'm replacing a single slash, or that I'm replacing doubles only, even if in reality those methods work as intended.

Upvotes: 0

haimlit
haimlit

Reputation: 2582

The answer is:

'one / two // three ///'.replace(/\/\/+/g, '/')

Let's go step by step to why it's correct.

First, to handle the error. It happened because the slash wasn't escaped. A regex begins with /, and to match all occurrences ends with /g, so to match all two slashes we would write:

/\/\//g
  1. begin regex - /
  2. match one slash - /
  3. match another slash - /
  4. all occurrences - /g

But then, given the input string above, the output would be:

one / two / three //

That is because /// matches two pairs of slashes, for each pair turns it into one and that's it. Regexes aren't iterative. So what we're looking for is to match two slashes or more, which will give the answer I wrote at the beginning.

Note that this would also work:

/\/+/g

However it will have bad performance, since it will match single slashes and will replace them with the same string.

Upvotes: 33

Amit Joki
Amit Joki

Reputation: 59232

You should instead use :

"some string".replace(/\/+/g, '/')

+ means match one or more. / is used to delimit regex in its literal form. SO you've to escape it with a back slash.

Upvotes: 8

user3586251
user3586251

Reputation:

Your code doesnt work because you need escape the slash and add +, meaning it match every number of slashes

string.replace(/\/+/g, '\/') will work.

Upvotes: 4

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