Javascript, regex: Replace specified characters with space and matched character - Stack Overflow

I am trying to use javascript replace() with a regex expression so that when it matches certain characters like: .,!? it will replace the matched character with itself surrounded by spaces. For example the string "hello?!?" will bee "hello ? ! ? ".

Is there a better way than just doing a string.replace() for each character I wish replace?

I know I can select on the characters easy enough with '/[!\?\.]/g', but getting it to replace it with the same character it matched with is eluding me.

I am trying to use javascript replace() with a regex expression so that when it matches certain characters like: .,!? it will replace the matched character with itself surrounded by spaces. For example the string "hello?!?" will bee "hello ? ! ? ".

Is there a better way than just doing a string.replace() for each character I wish replace?

I know I can select on the characters easy enough with '/[!\?\.]/g', but getting it to replace it with the same character it matched with is eluding me.

• javascript
• regex

Share Improve this question Follow edited Jul 10, 2013 at 19:33 t.niese 40.9k99 gold badges7878 silver badges109109 bronze badges asked Jul 10, 2013 at 19:26 Scott101Scott101 13822 silver badges99 bronze badges 3

• Should there be one or two spaces between ? and ! in your example? – t.niese Commented Jul 10, 2013 at 19:32
• Either way, after I split the sentence using / +/g which accounts for any number of spaces being between them to account for user error – Scott101 Commented Jul 10, 2013 at 19:35
• If the number of spaces does not matter then the answer of LeonardChallis is the one you are looking for. – t.niese Commented Jul 10, 2013 at 19:37

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2 Answers 2

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It's as simple as adding a back-reference, like so:

"hello?!?".replace(/([!?\,\.])/g, ' $1 ');

If '/[!\?.]/g' matches as a regex, just capture the group by surrounding it with ()'s '/([!\?.])/g'

Then use the returned matched group to get the character you matched