JavaScript/REGEX: First word in a string that contains an underscore
Using JavaScript, how can I get the first word in a string that contains an underscore?
alert( getF('hello world abc_xyz test test_123') ); // should alert "abc_xyz"
function getF (str) {
return str.replace(' selected','');
}ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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@TerryAtOpus
I've assumed you won't have a _ character at the start or end of the "word" you're targeting.Have you? ; )
Alternative
function getF(str)
{
var match = str.match(/\w+\_\w+/);
return (match != null)?match[0]:'not found';
}
@julianH
Change the w+ to w* depending on whether you want to enforce can / can't start / end with '_'As I teased Terry, "\w" encompasses underscore, so changing the + to * (and vice versa) has no bearing on whether or not the "word" can start with an underscore. Your pattern begins and ends with "\w"--any matching word can start or end with an underscore by default = )
I know - but it works :) I found out by accident - haven't quite figured out exactly why yet but if you change the \w+\_\w+ to \w*\_\w+ the it allows '_this' whereas it does not in the former.
Same for\w+\_\w* matches 'this_'
Same for\w+\_\w* matches 'this_'
Never mind, you're correct. (I really should stop making comments during insomnia fits.) My apologies = )
The point I was making was that either pattern would match "this__" (two underscores at the end).
Never mind, you're correct. (I really should stop making comments during insomnia fits.) My apologies = )
You too? - I thought only I did that :) Not that it came across like that ...
You are correct on the double underscore - tradeoff between simplicty and absolute correctness I suppose. I would tend to go with the cater for all eventualities in which case my solution would not pass muster - but if the author is coninced that the data won't contain a double underscore then he should be ok.
I've assumed you won't have a _ character at the start or end of the "word" you're targeting.