Question

118

Replacing accented characters with plain ascii ones

rated 0 times [ 124] [ 6] / answers: 1 / hits: 113615 / 11 Years ago, thu, august 8, 2013, 12:00:00

I need to turn a list of last names into alphanumeric usernames, however unfortunately some of them contain non-ascii characters:

Hernández

Quermançós 

Migueláñez

Now one way would just to use a regex to remove any non-alpha numeric characters such as a.replace(/[^a-z0-9]/gi,''). However a more intuitive solution (at least for the user) would be to replace accented characters with their plain equivalent, e.g. turn á, á into a, and ç into c, etc. Is there an easy way to do this in javascript?

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dajah

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4 Years ago

answered 11 Years ago erinh · Accepted Answer

The correct terminology for such accents is Diacritics. After Googling this term, I found this function which is part of backbone.paginator. It has a very complete collection of Diacritics and replaces them with their most intuitive ascii character. I found this to be the most complete Javascript solution available today.

The full function for future reference:

function removeDiacritics (str) {



  var defaultDiacriticsRemovalMap = [

    {'base':'A', 'letters':/[u0041u24B6uFF21u00C0u00C1u00C2u1EA6u1EA4u1EAAu1EA8u00C3u0100u0102u1EB0u1EAEu1EB4u1EB2u0226u01E0u00C4u01DEu1EA2u00C5u01FAu01CDu0200u0202u1EA0u1EACu1EB6u1E00u0104u023Au2C6F]/g},

    {'base':'AA','letters':/[uA732]/g},

    {'base':'AE','letters':/[u00C6u01FCu01E2]/g},

    {'base':'AO','letters':/[uA734]/g},

    {'base':'AU','letters':/[uA736]/g},

    {'base':'AV','letters':/[uA738uA73A]/g},

    {'base':'AY','letters':/[uA73C]/g},

    {'base':'B', 'letters':/[u0042u24B7uFF22u1E02u1E04u1E06u0243u0182u0181]/g},

    {'base':'C', 'letters':/[u0043u24B8uFF23u0106u0108u010Au010Cu00C7u1E08u0187u023BuA73E]/g},

    {'base':'D', 'letters':/[u0044u24B9uFF24u1E0Au010Eu1E0Cu1E10u1E12u1E0Eu0110u018Bu018Au0189uA779]/g},

    {'base':'DZ','letters':/[u01F1u01C4]/g},

    {'base':'Dz','letters':/[u01F2u01C5]/g},

    {'base':'E', 'letters':/[u0045u24BAuFF25u00C8u00C9u00CAu1EC0u1EBEu1EC4u1EC2u1EBCu0112u1E14u1E16u0114u0116u00CBu1EBAu011Au0204u0206u1EB8u1EC6u0228u1E1Cu0118u1E18u1E1Au0190u018E]/g},

    {'base':'F', 'letters':/[u0046u24BBuFF26u1E1Eu0191uA77B]/g},

    {'base':'G', 'letters':/[u0047u24BCuFF27u01F4u011Cu1E20u011Eu0120u01E6u0122u01E4u0193uA7A0uA77DuA77E]/g},

    {'base':'H', 'letters':/[u0048u24BDuFF28u0124u1E22u1E26u021Eu1E24u1E28u1E2Au0126u2C67u2C75uA78D]/g},

    {'base':'I', 'letters':/[u0049u24BEuFF29u00CCu00CDu00CEu0128u012Au012Cu0130u00CFu1E2Eu1EC8u01CFu0208u020Au1ECAu012Eu1E2Cu0197]/g},

    {'base':'J', 'letters':/[u004Au24BFuFF2Au0134u0248]/g},

    {'base':'K', 'letters':/[u004Bu24C0uFF2Bu1E30u01E8u1E32u0136u1E34u0198u2C69uA740uA742uA744uA7A2]/g},

    {'base':'L', 'letters':/[u004Cu24C1uFF2Cu013Fu0139u013Du1E36u1E38u013Bu1E3Cu1E3Au0141u023Du2C62u2C60uA748uA746uA780]/g},

    {'base':'LJ','letters':/[u01C7]/g},

    {'base':'Lj','letters':/[u01C8]/g},

    {'base':'M', 'letters':/[u004Du24C2uFF2Du1E3Eu1E40u1E42u2C6Eu019C]/g},

    {'base':'N', 'letters':/[u004Eu24C3uFF2Eu01F8u0143u00D1u1E44u0147u1E46u0145u1E4Au1E48u0220u019DuA790uA7A4]/g},

    {'base':'NJ','letters':/[u01CA]/g},

    {'base':'Nj','letters':/[u01CB]/g},

    {'base':'O', 'letters':/[u004Fu24C4uFF2Fu00D2u00D3u00D4u1ED2u1ED0u1ED6u1ED4u00D5u1E4Cu022Cu1E4Eu014Cu1E50u1E52u014Eu022Eu0230u00D6u022Au1ECEu0150u01D1u020Cu020Eu01A0u1EDCu1EDAu1EE0u1EDEu1EE2u1ECCu1ED8u01EAu01ECu00D8u01FEu0186u019FuA74AuA74C]/g},

    {'base':'OI','letters':/[u01A2]/g},

    {'base':'OO','letters':/[uA74E]/g},

    {'base':'OU','letters':/[u0222]/g},

    {'base':'P', 'letters':/[u0050u24C5uFF30u1E54u1E56u01A4u2C63uA750uA752uA754]/g},

    {'base':'Q', 'letters':/[u0051u24C6uFF31uA756uA758u024A]/g},

    {'base':'R', 'letters':/[u0052u24C7uFF32u0154u1E58u0158u0210u0212u1E5Au1E5Cu0156u1E5Eu024Cu2C64uA75AuA7A6uA782]/g},

    {'base':'S', 'letters':/[u0053u24C8uFF33u1E9Eu015Au1E64u015Cu1E60u0160u1E66u1E62u1E68u0218u015Eu2C7EuA7A8uA784]/g},

    {'base':'T', 'letters':/[u0054u24C9uFF34u1E6Au0164u1E6Cu021Au0162u1E70u1E6Eu0166u01ACu01AEu023EuA786]/g},

    {'base':'TZ','letters':/[uA728]/g},

    {'base':'U', 'letters':/[u0055u24CAuFF35u00D9u00DAu00DBu0168u1E78u016Au1E7Au016Cu00DCu01DBu01D7u01D5u01D9u1EE6u016Eu0170u01D3u0214u0216u01AFu1EEAu1EE8u1EEEu1EECu1EF0u1EE4u1E72u0172u1E76u1E74u0244]/g},

    {'base':'V', 'letters':/[u0056u24CBuFF36u1E7Cu1E7Eu01B2uA75Eu0245]/g},

    {'base':'VY','letters':/[uA760]/g},

    {'base':'W', 'letters':/[u0057u24CCuFF37u1E80u1E82u0174u1E86u1E84u1E88u2C72]/g},

    {'base':'X', 'letters':/[u0058u24CDuFF38u1E8Au1E8C]/g},

    {'base':'Y', 'letters':/[u0059u24CEuFF39u1EF2u00DDu0176u1EF8u0232u1E8Eu0178u1EF6u1EF4u01B3u024Eu1EFE]/g},

    {'base':'Z', 'letters':/[u005Au24CFuFF3Au0179u1E90u017Bu017Du1E92u1E94u01B5u0224u2C7Fu2C6BuA762]/g},

    {'base':'a', 'letters':/[u0061u24D0uFF41u1E9Au00E0u00E1u00E2u1EA7u1EA5u1EABu1EA9u00E3u0101u0103u1EB1u1EAFu1EB5u1EB3u0227u01E1u00E4u01DFu1EA3u00E5u01FBu01CEu0201u0203u1EA1u1EADu1EB7u1E01u0105u2C65u0250]/g},

    {'base':'aa','letters':/[uA733]/g},

    {'base':'ae','letters':/[u00E6u01FDu01E3]/g},

    {'base':'ao','letters':/[uA735]/g},

    {'base':'au','letters':/[uA737]/g},

    {'base':'av','letters':/[uA739uA73B]/g},

    {'base':'ay','letters':/[uA73D]/g},

    {'base':'b', 'letters':/[u0062u24D1uFF42u1E03u1E05u1E07u0180u0183u0253]/g},

    {'base':'c', 'letters':/[u0063u24D2uFF43u0107u0109u010Bu010Du00E7u1E09u0188u023CuA73Fu2184]/g},

    {'base':'d', 'letters':/[u0064u24D3uFF44u1E0Bu010Fu1E0Du1E11u1E13u1E0Fu0111u018Cu0256u0257uA77A]/g},

    {'base':'dz','letters':/[u01F3u01C6]/g},

    {'base':'e', 'letters':/[u0065u24D4uFF45u00E8u00E9u00EAu1EC1u1EBFu1EC5u1EC3u1EBDu0113u1E15u1E17u0115u0117u00EBu1EBBu011Bu0205u0207u1EB9u1EC7u0229u1E1Du0119u1E19u1E1Bu0247u025Bu01DD]/g},

    {'base':'f', 'letters':/[u0066u24D5uFF46u1E1Fu0192uA77C]/g},

    {'base':'g', 'letters':/[u0067u24D6uFF47u01F5u011Du1E21u011Fu0121u01E7u0123u01E5u0260uA7A1u1D79uA77F]/g},

    {'base':'h', 'letters':/[u0068u24D7uFF48u0125u1E23u1E27u021Fu1E25u1E29u1E2Bu1E96u0127u2C68u2C76u0265]/g},

    {'base':'hv','letters':/[u0195]/g},

    {'base':'i', 'letters':/[u0069u24D8uFF49u00ECu00EDu00EEu0129u012Bu012Du00EFu1E2Fu1EC9u01D0u0209u020Bu1ECBu012Fu1E2Du0268u0131]/g},

    {'base':'j', 'letters':/[u006Au24D9uFF4Au0135u01F0u0249]/g},

    {'base':'k', 'letters':/[u006Bu24DAuFF4Bu1E31u01E9u1E33u0137u1E35u0199u2C6AuA741uA743uA745uA7A3]/g},

    {'base':'l', 'letters':/[u006Cu24DBuFF4Cu0140u013Au013Eu1E37u1E39u013Cu1E3Du1E3Bu017Fu0142u019Au026Bu2C61uA749uA781uA747]/g},

    {'base':'lj','letters':/[u01C9]/g},

    {'base':'m', 'letters':/[u006Du24DCuFF4Du1E3Fu1E41u1E43u0271u026F]/g},

    {'base':'n', 'letters':/[u006Eu24DDuFF4Eu01F9u0144u00F1u1E45u0148u1E47u0146u1E4Bu1E49u019Eu0272u0149uA791uA7A5]/g},

    {'base':'nj','letters':/[u01CC]/g},

    {'base':'o', 'letters':/[u006Fu24DEuFF4Fu00F2u00F3u00F4u1ED3u1ED1u1ED7u1ED5u00F5u1E4Du022Du1E4Fu014Du1E51u1E53u014Fu022Fu0231u00F6u022Bu1ECFu0151u01D2u020Du020Fu01A1u1EDDu1EDBu1EE1u1EDFu1EE3u1ECDu1ED9u01EBu01EDu00F8u01FFu0254uA74BuA74Du0275]/g},

    {'base':'oi','letters':/[u01A3]/g},

    {'base':'ou','letters':/[u0223]/g},

    {'base':'oo','letters':/[uA74F]/g},

    {'base':'p','letters':/[u0070u24DFuFF50u1E55u1E57u01A5u1D7DuA751uA753uA755]/g},

    {'base':'q','letters':/[u0071u24E0uFF51u024BuA757uA759]/g},

    {'base':'r','letters':/[u0072u24E1uFF52u0155u1E59u0159u0211u0213u1E5Bu1E5Du0157u1E5Fu024Du027DuA75BuA7A7uA783]/g},

    {'base':'s','letters':/[u0073u24E2uFF53u00DFu015Bu1E65u015Du1E61u0161u1E67u1E63u1E69u0219u015Fu023FuA7A9uA785u1E9B]/g},

    {'base':'t','letters':/[u0074u24E3uFF54u1E6Bu1E97u0165u1E6Du021Bu0163u1E71u1E6Fu0167u01ADu0288u2C66uA787]/g},

    {'base':'tz','letters':/[uA729]/g},

    {'base':'u','letters':/[u0075u24E4uFF55u00F9u00FAu00FBu0169u1E79u016Bu1E7Bu016Du00FCu01DCu01D8u01D6u01DAu1EE7u016Fu0171u01D4u0215u0217u01B0u1EEBu1EE9u1EEFu1EEDu1EF1u1EE5u1E73u0173u1E77u1E75u0289]/g},

    {'base':'v','letters':/[u0076u24E5uFF56u1E7Du1E7Fu028BuA75Fu028C]/g},

    {'base':'vy','letters':/[uA761]/g},

    {'base':'w','letters':/[u0077u24E6uFF57u1E81u1E83u0175u1E87u1E85u1E98u1E89u2C73]/g},

    {'base':'x','letters':/[u0078u24E7uFF58u1E8Bu1E8D]/g},

    {'base':'y','letters':/[u0079u24E8uFF59u1EF3u00FDu0177u1EF9u0233u1E8Fu00FFu1EF7u1E99u1EF5u01B4u024Fu1EFF]/g},

    {'base':'z','letters':/[u007Au24E9uFF5Au017Au1E91u017Cu017Eu1E93u1E95u01B6u0225u0240u2C6CuA763]/g}

  ];



  for(var i=0; i<defaultDiacriticsRemovalMap.length; i++) {

    str = str.replace(defaultDiacriticsRemovalMap[i].letters, defaultDiacriticsRemovalMap[i].base);

  }



  return str;



}