Javascript replace method not working.

Question

I am storing XML in JavaScript variable

<data>
<event>
<eid><![CDATA[152]]]]><![CDATA[></eid>
<start_date><![CDATA[2014-03-01 00:00:00]]]]><![CDATA[></start_date>
<end_date><![CDATA[2014-03-01 00:35:00]]]]><![CDATA[></end_date>
<text><![CDATA[New event]]]]><![CDATA[></text>
<rec_type><![CDATA[]]]]><![CDATA[></rec_type>
<event_pid><![CDATA[0]]]]><![CDATA[></event_pid>
<event_length><![CDATA[0]]]]><![CDATA[></event_length>
<event_type><![CDATA[0]]]]><![CDATA[></event_type>
<event_color><![CDATA[#664d0c]]]]><![CDATA[></event_color>
<userid><![CDATA[1]]]]><![CDATA[></userid>
<mediaid><![CDATA[65]]]]><![CDATA[></mediaid>
</event>
</data>

Now I want to replace all such instances

]]><![CDATA[

from variable

I tried this ?

{
    var exp = "/]]><![CDATA[/gi";
    alert(exp);
    return exp;
}

xmldata = xmldata.replace(getExpReg(), "");

But string is not changed what is the issue ?

cuz function to which i m passing this XML cant read extra CDATA fields — Chintan_chiku
– Chintan_chiku, Commented Mar 14, 2014 at 5:07
because .replace only accepts a static string (exact match) or a regex object. var exp = new RegExp(""\]\]><!\[CDATA\[","gi"); — CrayonViolent
– CrayonViolent, Commented Mar 14, 2014 at 5:08
Do you want to match ]]><![cdata[ also? You have an ignore case flag there... — Gaurang Tandon
– Gaurang Tandon, Commented Mar 14, 2014 at 5:11

CrayonViolent · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-14 05:23:54Z

1

.replace accepts either a string (exact match) or a regex object (regex match). So if you want to use a variable (or function return value) as the arg, you have to do the latter.

Note: the reason your 2ndary issue was that you weren't escaping the square brackets. You must escape characters that have special meaning to the regex engine. Square brackets are used for character classes e.g. [0-9] to match for a number 0 thru 9.

function getExpReg()
{
    var exp = new RegExp("\\]\\]><!\\[CDATA\\[","gi");
    alert(exp);
    return exp;
}

xmldata = xmldata.replace(getExpReg(), "");

edited Mar 14, 2014 at 5:23

answered Mar 14, 2014 at 5:13

CrayonViolent

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Comments

Arun P Johny · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-14 05:22:13Z

1

Use a simple regex like

xmldata = xmldata.replace(/\]\]><!\[CDATA\[/gi, "");

In your case you are returning a string literal from the getExpReg method, so the replace method searches for an exact match for the string and replaces its first occurrence.

If you want to use a string literal as a regex, then you need to use RegExp constructor

edited Mar 14, 2014 at 5:22

answered Mar 14, 2014 at 5:10

Arun P Johny

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2 Comments

Gaurang Tandon Over a year ago

I think the OP wants to ignorecase. See the i flag he has put there in his second code block.

Ruan Mendes Over a year ago

You should explain the difference between what the OP wrote and what you have, that is you use a regular expression literal(and escape special characters), instead of just passing in a string that looks like a regular expression

Gaurang Tandon · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-14 05:16:43Z

0

You haven't escaped the special characters ([,/). Should be:

function getExpReg(){
    var exp = /\/\]\]><!\[CDATA\[/gi;  // escape using \
    alert(exp);
    return exp;
}

xmldata = xmldata.replace(getExpReg(), "");

answered Mar 14, 2014 at 5:16

Gaurang Tandon

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