JSVerbalExpressions README

The project's README from github.com/VerbalExpressions/JSVerbalExpressions. As one markdown file: README.md.

VerbalExpressions

Build Status Latest Version jsDelivr License

JavaScript Regular Expressions made easy

VerbalExpressions is a JavaScript library that helps construct difficult regular expressions.

How to get started

In the browser

<script src="VerbalExpressions.js"></script>

Or use the jsDelivr CDN.

On the server (node.js)

Install:

npm install verbal-expressions

Require:

const VerEx = require('verbal-expressions');

Or use ES6's import:

import VerEx from 'verbal-expressions';

Running tests

npm test

(or)

npm run test:verbose

Creating a minified version

npm run build

This will run Babel on VerbalExpressions.js and output the result to dist/verbalexpressions.js. A minified version of the same will also be written to dist/verbalexpressions.min.js.

A source map will also be created in dist, so you can use the original "un-babelified", unminified source file for debugging purposes.

Building the docs/ folder

The docs/ folder uses Jekyll for building the static HTML and is hosted at gh-pages.

To install the Ruby dependencies, run:

cd docs/
bundle install

This installs all needed Ruby dependencies locally

After you've installed dependencies, you can run:

bundle exec jekyll build

This builds all static files to docs/_site/ folder.

If you want to develop the files locally, you can run:

bundle exec jekyll serve

This starts a local development web server and starts watching your files for changes.

API documentation

You can find the API documentation at verbalexpressions.github.io/JSVerbalExpressions. You can find the source code for the docs in docs.

Examples

Here are some simple examples to give an idea of how VerbalExpressions works:

Testing if we have a valid URL

// Create an example of how to test for correctly formed URLs
const tester = VerEx()
    .startOfLine()
    .then('http')
    .maybe('s')
    .then('://')
    .maybe('www.')
    .anythingBut(' ')
    .endOfLine();

// Create an example URL
const testMe = 'https://www.google.com';

// Use RegExp object's native test() function
if (tester.test(testMe)) {
    alert('We have a correct URL'); // This output will fire
} else {
    alert('The URL is incorrect');
}

console.log(tester); // Outputs the actual expression used: /^(http)(s)?(\:\/\/)(www\.)?([^\ ]*)$/

Replacing strings

// Create a test string
const replaceMe = 'Replace bird with a duck';

// Create an expression that seeks for word "bird"
const expression = VerEx().find('bird');

// Execute the expression like a normal RegExp object
const result = expression.replace(replaceMe, 'duck');

// Outputs "Replace duck with a duck"
alert(result);

Shorthand for string replace

const result = VerEx().find('red').replace('We have a red house', 'blue');

// Outputs "We have a blue house"
alert(result);

Contributions

Pull requests are warmly welcome!

Clone the repo and fork:

git clone https://github.com/VerbalExpressions/JSVerbalExpressions.git

Style guide

The Airbnb style guide is loosely used as a basis for creating clean and readable JavaScript code. Check .eslintrc.

Check out these slide decks for handy Github & git tips:

Tools

Other Implementations

You can see an up to date list of all ports on VerbalExpressions.github.io.

If you would like to contribute another port (which would be awesome!), please open an issue specifying the language in the VerbalExpressions/implementation repo. Please don't open PRs for other languages against this repo.

Similar projects

Here's a list of other similar projects that implement regular expression builders:

JSVerbalExpressions (VerbalExpressions/JSVerbalExpressions)

utility-library
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12.1K ·GitHub
JSVerbalExpressions
What is this?VerbalExpressions is a JavaScript library that lets you build regular expressions using chainable, readable methods instead of raw regex syntax.
Is it a framework or a library?It is a small library: you call methods like startOfLine(), then(), endOfLine() on a VerEx object, and it produces a real RegExp under the hood.
How do I add it to a project?In the browser, load it directly or via the jsDelivr CDN; on Node.js, install it and require it, or import it using ES6 import syntax.
Do I need any build tools to just use it?No, you can use the pre-built library directly; build tools (Grunt/Babel) are only needed if you want to run tests or create your own minified build from source.
Is this the only regex-builder for other languages too?No, JSVerbalExpressions is the JavaScript port; Ruby, C#, Python, Java, Groovy, PHP, Haskell, Haxe, C++, Objective-C, Perl and Swift each have their own separate implementation repos maintained by the community.
Can you give an example of what the chained syntax looks like?README examples show building a URL validator and doing string replacement by chaining calls like startOfLine(), then('http'), maybe('s'), then('://') and so on, ending in a usable RegExp or replace() call.
Is there a playground to try it without installing anything?Yes, the README links a JSBin Playground tool for experimenting with VerbalExpressions interactively in the browser.
Can I write regex in plain text and get VerbalExpressions code?There is a companion tool mentioned in the README that wraps JSVerbalExpressions, letting users write regular code and compile it to a regex using the library.
How is the documentation site built?The docs/ folder uses Jekyll to generate static HTML, which is hosted on GitHub Pages at verbalexpressions.github.io/JSVerbalExpressions.
What are similar projects?lodash, core-js, validator.js, classnames, co, mojs, dropzone, pug
Which topics is it in?utility-library, regex, es6, javascript-library, cli-tool, beginner-friendly, browser, documentation, npm, frontend, tool, nodejs
Creator
VerbalExpressions
Size
2.8 MB
Stars
12.1K
Updated
CommitMay 16Release1.0.2Jun 16
Age
13y
Commits · 90 Days