CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascript
Shiladittya Chakraborty
Shiladittya Chakraborty

Reputation: 4418

Javascript pattern not matching

I am trying to match pattern which contains pipe(|) operator.

Have used below code to match patteren 

var format = /[ \\|]/; // This is the pattern for matching pipe pattern

if ("Near raghavendra temple ring roads".match(format)) {
    alert("Invalid character");
}

"Near raghavendra temple ring roads" this string does not contains | operator but still above condition getting true.

Not able to to understand what is the mistake in above pattern.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 37

Answers (2)

samanime
samanime

Reputation: 26607

The problem is you have a space in there:

/[ \\|]/

actually means "match any one space, \ or |".

If all you want to do is match a pipe, then use this:

const format = /[\|]/; // This is the pattern for matching pipe pattern

if ("Near raghavendra temple ring roads".match(format)) {
  console.log("Invalid character");
} else {
  console.log("Okay");
}

You probably have the double-\ because that's how it needs to appear in strings. However, in regex, if you do two, it makes it a \ literal. If you just want to escape the pipe, just use one.

In fact, in a set like that, you don't even need to escape it: 

const format = /[|]/; // This is the pattern for matching pipe pattern

if ("Near raghavendra temple ring roads".match(format)) {
  console.log("Invalid character");
} else {
  console.log("Okay");
}

if ("Bad | character".match(format)) {
  console.log('Bad character');
}

Personally, I like to keep the slash though just for clarity.

Upvotes: 0

BotNet
BotNet

Reputation: 2809

var format = /[\\|]/; // This is the pattern for matching pipe pattern

if ("Near raghavendra temple ring roads".match(format))
  console.log("Invalid character");

else
  console.log('All valid');

You are matching on the space character. Remove the space from the regex pattern (inside the square) brackets

Upvotes: 3

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