RegExp can't find a period

[trialofmiles]

Is there any reason why RegExp wouldn't be able to find a period?

str = '256.89';
a = new RegExp('(\.)');
b = /(\.)/;
alert(str.repla ce(a, 'x$1x'));
alert(str.repla ce(b, 'x$1x'));

The alert for a says
x2x56.89

However the alert for b says
256x.x89

b is the result I want, because it means that the period was found. a
is just finding a single character, as if it's ignoring the escape in
front of the period.

I've tried this in IE and Mozilla.

[Steve van Dongen]

Re: RegExp can't find a period

On 15 Jan 2004 01:01:23 -0800, trialofmiles@ya hoo.com (trialofmiles)
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Is there any reason why RegExp wouldn't be able to find a period?
>
>str = '256.89';
>a = new RegExp('(\.)');[/color]

Here's a hint:
When used in a STRING, the backslash is the escape character.
[color=blue]
>b = /(\.)/;
>alert(str.repl ace(a, 'x$1x'));
>alert(str.repl ace(b, 'x$1x'));
>
>The alert for a says
>x2x56.89
>
>However the alert for b says
>256x.x89
>
>b is the result I want, because it means that the period was found. a
>is just finding a single character, as if it's ignoring the escape in
>front of the period.
>
>I've tried this in IE and Mozilla.[/color]

Regards,
Steve

[Harag]

Re: RegExp can't find a period

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 11:14:05 GMT, Steve van Dongen
<stevevd@hotmai l.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>On 15 Jan 2004 01:01:23 -0800, trialofmiles@ya hoo.com (trialofmiles)
>wrote:
>[color=green]
>>Is there any reason why RegExp wouldn't be able to find a period?
>>
>>str = '256.89';
>>a = new RegExp('(\.)');[/color]
>
>Here's a hint:
>When used in a STRING, the backslash is the escape character.[/color]

Yeah, what you actually need to do is:

a = new RegExp('(\\.)') ;

when its a string.

hth
Al

[trialofmiles]

Re: RegExp can't find a period

Steve van Dongen <stevevd@hotmai l.com> wrote in message news:<hctc005p6 i00mjoqqp0tc5sd 7gjfhcje6n@4ax. com>...[color=blue]
> Here's a hint:
> When used in a STRING, the backslash is the escape character.[/color]

Sometimes the solution is so simple. Thank you very much.

What's strange is at one point I had written it \\. and things weren't
working the way I expected. But that was when I was trying it as part
of a larger regular expression. Another piece of the expression must
have been wrong. Things are working now.