Replacing string multiple times on a variable with NODE.js

Question

I have a string variable where I have a text that needs to be replaced. This text appears several times.

For example:

let title="Hello [username], your name is [username]. Goodbye [username]"

and

myuser = "Danielle"

the following line does does the trick:

title = title.replace(/username/gi, myuser)

And this is the result I get:

Hello [Danielle], your name is [Danielle]. Goodbye [Danielle]

But what I really want to replace is [username], like this:

title = title.replace(/[username]/gi, myuser)

Which does not work.

I tried [username], "[username]", '[username]'... etc but nothing seems to work.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

Does this answer your question? How to replace all occurrences of a string in JavaScript — OrenIshShalom
– OrenIshShalom, Commented Nov 13, 2021 at 13:18

Pyxel Codes · Accepted Answer · 2021-11-12 21:00:13Z

4

the square bracket [ has a dedicated reason in a regex, therefore it has to be escaped

you escape a charachter, meaning ignore any usage of it and just use it as a "character" with a backslash \

try using

title = title.replace(/\[username\]/gi, myuser)

answered Nov 12, 2021 at 21:00

Pyxel Codes

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1 Comment

Danielle Over a year ago

That worked perfect. Thanks so much.

esqew · Accepted Answer · 2021-11-12 20:59:20Z

2

When using a RegExp pattern for the first argument of String.replace(), you have to escape any characters you’re looking to match that are also RegExp control characters.

Since square brackets have special meaning in RegExp, escape them with the appropriate escape sequence (prepended with the \ token):

title = title.replace(/\[username\]/gi, myuser)

answered Nov 12, 2021 at 20:59

esqew

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1 Comment

Danielle Over a year ago

Thanks Esqew. Always happy to learn something new.

Talg123 · Accepted Answer · 2021-11-12 21:28:35Z

2

on the new version of nodejs(15+) you got String.replaceAll() function

'mystring'.replaceAll('string', 'str');

answered Nov 12, 2021 at 21:28

Talg123

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1 Comment

Danielle Over a year ago

I noticed that, but Im scared of updating node and having some type of incompatibility with the existing code! Thanks Talg123.

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