Replace all "\\" substring with "\\\\"

[getmeidea]

Hi all,

String x = "\\";

This string will have the value \.
Now for any string contains \, i need to replace with \\.

But when i use x = x.replaceAll("\ \", "\\\\");
I am getting runtime exception.

How can i replace this.

[JosAH]

Hi all,

String x = "\\";

This string will have the value \.
Now for any string contains \, i need to replace with \\.

But when i use x = x.replaceAll("\ \", "\\\\");
I am getting runtime exception.

How can i replace this.

You have to double all the backslashes once more because a single backslash
is not only special to the Java compile (javac), it is also special to the regular
expression compiler and interpreter.

kind regards,

Jos

[BigDaddyLH]

What Jos writes is true, but let me suggest a simpler solution.

String has two methods:
[CODE=Java]
String replaceAll(Stri ng regex, String replacement)
String replace(CharSeq uence target, CharSequence replacement)
[/CODE]
(CharSequence is an interface implemented by String.) Both methods replace "all occurrences", but method replaceAll is more powerful because it takes a pattern string. However, in your case that just gets in the way because backslash has a special meaning in patterns. So prefer to use the second method unless you really need to use a regular expression pattern:
[CODE=Java]
x = x.replace("\\", "\\\\");
[/CODE]
Read more about regular expressions here:

http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/util/regex/Pattern.html