regex with replaceAll

Question

I have done some searching and would like advice on this problem:

I want to replace "labels":"Webapp" with "labels":["Webapp"]

I found the regex (\"labels\"\:\")+(([a-zA-Z]|\s|\-)+)+(\") with the following substitution "labels":["$2"]

I use the method replaceAll and the Talend editor.

I write output_row.json = output_row.json.replaceAll("(\"labels\"\:\")+(([a-zA-Z]|\s|\-)+)+(\")",""labels":["$2"]"); but It doesn't work.

Message détaillé: Invalid escape sequence (valid ones are \b \t \n \f \r \" \' \ )

Then I escaped the characters, I did:

output_row.json = output_row.json.replaceAll("(\\"labels\\"\:\\")+(([a-zA-Z]|\\s|\-)+)+(\\")","\"labels\":[\"$2\"]");

But It doesn't work yet.

Please could you help me?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Issues : don't escape - and : they are not special characters in regex

escape \s with \\s plus escape " as you did in your second example \"labels\":[\"$2\"]

Although you can use a more concise regex and combine your \\s , - inside character class []

You can use (\"labels\":\")+([a-zA-Z -]+)\

System.out.println("labels\":\"Webapp"
        .replaceAll("(\"labels\":\")+([a-zA-Z -]+)\""
                , "\"labels\":[\"$2\"]"));