Java replaceFirst does not replace parenthesis

Question

import java.io.*;
public class Test {

   public static void main(String args[]) {
      String Str = new String("where test = (:viztest)");
      System.out.print("Return Value :" );
      System.out.println(Str.replaceFirst("(:viztest)", "any('25','324')"));
   }
}

The result to this is

$javac Test.java
$java -Xmx128M -Xms16M Test
Return Value :where test = (any('25','324'))

Where it should be where test = any('25','324')

Why does it ignore replacing the parenthesis and how it should be fixed?

Your first step should always be the documentation, which quite clearly says "Replaces the first substring of this string that matches the given regular expression with the given replacement." So then you'd ask yourself if the paren issue might relate to that "regular expression" thing, and look at those... — T.J. Crowder
– T.J. Crowder, Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 8:08

Indent · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-28 08:36:58Z

11

You need escape the parenthesis (the argument is a regex, (...) defines a capture group):

Str.replaceFirst("\\(:viztest\\)")

or

Str.replaceFirst(Pattern.quote("(:viztest)")

edited Nov 28, 2017 at 8:36

answered Nov 28, 2017 at 8:05

Indent

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3 Comments

Joop Eggen Over a year ago

with \\( as it is a regex escape

xMilos Over a year ago

Thank you i tried before with \ slash but didn't work

Andy Turner Over a year ago

Pattern.quote("(:viztest)") is the most reliable way to ensure everything that needs to be escaped is escaped, whilst leaving your original strings intact.

Jeroen Steenbeeke · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-28 08:05:24Z

1

This is easy: replaceFirst expects a regular expression as first parameter. In a regular expression, parentheses indicate a group. You need to escape them with backslashes.

https://docs.oracle.com/javase/9/docs/api/java/lang/String.html#replaceFirst-java.lang.String-java.lang.String-

answered Nov 28, 2017 at 8:05

Jeroen Steenbeeke

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Comments

achAmháin · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-28 08:06:38Z

0

You can enclose the brackets in [] and it will remove those also:

System.out.println(Str.replaceFirst("[(]:viztest[)]", "any('25','324')"));

answered Nov 28, 2017 at 8:06

achAmháin

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