Question

131

JavaScript/jQuery Regex Replace Input Field with Valid Characters

rated 0 times [ 132] [ 1] / answers: 1 / hits: 15419 / 13 Years ago, sun, july 3, 2011, 12:00:00

I am building a CMS where a user can customize the SEO URL of a page via a text input control. For example, say the user is creating a gallery, and they want their page to be accessed at http://www.example.com/my-1st-gallery.

Notice how the "my-1st-gallery" portion doesn't contain any illegal characters for a URL. Since most users won't know what is allowed and not allowed, I'd like to create a JavaScript regex filter which can filter/convert all illegal characters on key-up.

I know how to use jQuery/JavaScript to listen for key-up events, but I'm not sure how to use a regex to do the following:

Filter all characters other than a-z, A-Z, 0-9, a "-", a "_", and a space.

Change any "_" and spaces to a "-", and let the user know that the given character has been converted into "-".

Could someone provide a good example of how to do the regex part. Again, I understand how to listen for key-up events.

Ok, with all of these good answers, I think I can piece this together for my web app. I wish I could select more than one answer as my final! :S Thank you all!

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dorab

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4 Years ago

answered 13 Years ago tylerdamiena · Accepted Answer

$(#inputElement).keyup(function() {

    var input = $(this),

    var text = input.val().replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9-_s]/g, );

    if(/_|s/.test(text)) {

        text = text.replace(/_|s/g, );

        // logic to notify user of replacement

    }

    input.val(text);

});