Javascript - Remove space- not breaks

Question

How can i remove space in a string, without removing the breaks inside?

$new=$new.replace(/\s+/g,' '); //not working correct


this       is a test.
please    remove only   the
Space not
the       breaks inside


this is a test.
please remove only the
Space not
the breaks

Why are you using `\s+`? Do you know what it means at all? – Bergi Jun 14 '15 at 22:30 — Bergi, Jun 14 '15 at 22:30

blex · Accepted Answer · 2015-06-14T22:35:59.700

2

Just use / +/g:

$new = document.getElementById('content').innerHTML;

$new = $new.replace(/ +/g,' ');
// or $new = $new.replace(/(\s(?=\s))+/g,'');
 
document.getElementById('result').innerHTML = $new;

<pre id="content">
this       is a test.
please    remove only   the
Space not
the       breaks inside
</pre>

<pre id="result">
</pre>

edited Jun 14 '15 at 22:35

answered Jun 14 '15 at 22:18

blex

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1

a better demo would be using a `pre` tag ;) http://jsbin.com/doheqi/2/edit?html,js,output – Roko C. Buljan Jun 14 '15 at 22:21
Works, but using space in a regular Express is not ISO Conform – dazzafact Jun 14 '15 at 22:21
@dazzafact I tried another way, is [this](http://jsfiddle.net/m58fgvyo/) ISO conform? – blex Jun 14 '15 at 22:32

Alvin Thompson · Answer 2 · 2015-06-14T22:31:14.183

1

$new = $new.split(/ +/).join(' ');

edited Jun 14 '15 at 22:31

answered Jun 14 '15 at 22:20

Alvin Thompson

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This does the exact opposite of what was asked. – JJJ Jun 14 '15 at 22:23
Cause you'll lose `newlines` (since the `s`) - Newlines are needed, the multiple spaces are not. – Roko C. Buljan Jun 14 '15 at 22:23
Now it just does nothing. – JJJ Jun 14 '15 at 22:24
@Juhana: no, it doesn't. This is a very common javascript technique. – Alvin Thompson Jun 14 '15 at 22:25
1

If you replace all spaces with equal number of spaces, you're left with the exact same string. Go ahead and try it. – JJJ Jun 14 '15 at 22:26
@AlvinThompson please take a look : http://jsbin.com/doheqi/4/edit?html,js,output – Roko C. Buljan Jun 14 '15 at 22:26
@Juhana: I meant your previous comment that it did the opposite of what the OP asked for. – Alvin Thompson Jun 14 '15 at 22:28
Your previous code *did* the opposite of what was asked (removed the line breaks and left spaces untouched.) – JJJ Jun 14 '15 at 22:29
@AlvinThompson what you want is probably this: `$new.split(/ +/).join(' ');` http://jsbin.com/doheqi/6/edit?html,js,output – Roko C. Buljan Jun 14 '15 at 22:29

Javascript - Remove space- not breaks

2 Answers2