Java - replaceAll by regex, then replace first occurance of string

Question

I have this string with HTML inside: something I want to preserve...

I'm using a regex to replace  with ( and then the following  replace with )

Pattern regex = Pattern.compile("<span\\s+[^>]*title=(['\"])(.*?)\\1[^>]*>");
Matcher matcher = regex.matcher(strLine);
if (matcher.find()) {
    strLine = matcher.replaceAll("(");
    strLine = strLine.replace("</span>", ")");
}

I works but it replaces all  tags; I only want to replace the one that matches the opening tag I just matched.

So if I understand you correctly, you need to replace any span with a title with (), but any span that does not have a title you want to leave alone. And the problem that you have above is that the opening tags  are being replaced correctly, but too many of the closing tags  are being replaced (ie. the ones matching opening tags without title. Is this correct? — John B
– John B, Commented Nov 11, 2011 at 12:25

Bart Kiers · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-11 14:05:33Z

6

Why not do it in one replaceAll(...) call:

String s = "noise <span title=\"whatever\">something I want to preserve</span>...";
s = s.replaceAll("<span\\s+[^>]*title=(['\"])(.*?)\\1[^>]*>(.*?)</span>", "($3)");
System.out.println(s);

which will print:

noise (something I want to preserve)...

EDIT

Note Alan's comment under my answer: this assumes you don't have nested 's in your input.

edited Nov 11, 2011 at 14:05

answered Nov 11, 2011 at 12:26

Bart Kiers

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1 Comment

Alan Moore Over a year ago

This assumes there won't be any other  elements nested inside the one you're matching.

John B · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-11 12:23:06Z

3

I suggest you use a single regex for matching the entire .... Capture the  in one group and the  in another and use the capture groups to do the replacement.

answered Nov 11, 2011 at 12:23

John B

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Comments

bpgergo · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-11 12:23:12Z

1

Instead of replacing the  tags, you could try to extract the content of the  tag and then wrap it with braces.

answered Nov 11, 2011 at 12:23

bpgergo

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