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I'm trying to replace instances of a single quote "'" with a backslash
single quote "\'".

But I can't get it to work with the replaceAll function.
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/...va.lang.String)

I'm trying String.replaceAll("'","\\'")

What am I doing wrong? Even when I put a "C" in the first argument, it
only replaces it a single quote. Not a backslash and then a single
quote.

wrote:
> I'm trying to replace instances of a single quote "'" with a backslash
> single quote "\'".
>
> But I can't get it to work with the replaceAll function.
> http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/...va.lang.String)
>
> I'm trying String.replaceAll("'","\\'")
>
> What am I doing wrong? Even when I put a "C" in the first argument, it
> only replaces it a single quote. Not a backslash and then a single
> quote.
>

replaceAll("'","\\\\'");

--

Knute Johnson
email s/nospam/knute/

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> I'm trying to replace instances of a single quote "'" with a backslash
> single quote "\'".
>
> But I can't get it to work with the replaceAll function.
> http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/...va.lang.String)
>
> I'm trying String.replaceAll("'","\\'")
>
> What am I doing wrong? Even when I put a "C" in the first argument, it
> only replaces it a single quote. Not a backslash and then a single
> quote.
>

You need something like replaceAll("'","\\\\'"), with 4 blackslashes.
There's two layers of escaping going on: One in Java, and one in the RegExp
engine. See
http://groups.google.com/group/comp....d11f7fb586e837
for an explanation. When you write "\\\\'" in Java, the in-memory string
becomes "\\'", and then the RegExp engine treats that as "\'".


- Oliver

Oliver Wong <> wrote:
> > I'm trying String.replaceAll("'","\\'")
> >
>
> You need something like replaceAll("'","\\\\'"), with 4 blackslashes.
> There's two layers of escaping going on: One in Java, and one in the RegExp
> engine.

The subtlety worth pointing out here is that even the second parameter
to String.replaceAll is NOT a plain String. The API docs for
String.replaceAll are far from clear in pointing this out. It is
pointed out in the API docs for Matcher.replaceAll if you follow links
that far, and Java 1.5 introduces a method called
Matcher.quoteReplacement that can make this clearer than doing the
quoting by hand:

s.replaceAll(Pattern.quote("'"),
Matcher.quoteReplacement("\\'"));

This is a classic example of poor API design, and it's confused
thousands of people and cost thousands of man-hours of effort.

--
www.designacourse.com
The Easiest Way To Train Anyone... Anywhere.

Chris Smith - Lead Software Developer/Technical Trainer
MindIQ Corporation

Chris Smith wrote:
> Oliver Wong <> wrote:
>>> I'm trying String.replaceAll("'","\\'")
>>>
>> You need something like replaceAll("'","\\\\'"), with 4 blackslashes.
>> There's two layers of escaping going on: One in Java, and one in the RegExp
>> engine.
>
> The subtlety worth pointing out here is that even the second parameter
> to String.replaceAll is NOT a plain String. The API docs for
> String.replaceAll are far from clear in pointing this out. It is
> pointed out in the API docs for Matcher.replaceAll if you follow links
> that far, and Java 1.5 introduces a method called
> Matcher.quoteReplacement that can make this clearer than doing the
> quoting by hand:
>
> s.replaceAll(Pattern.quote("'"),
> Matcher.quoteReplacement("\\'"));
>
> This is a classic example of poor API design, and it's confused
> thousands of people and cost thousands of man-hours of effort.
>

It sure is and it sure has!

--

Knute Johnson
email s/nospam/knute/

On 17 Apr 2006 07:38:52 -0700, wrote, quoted or
indirectly quoted someone who said :

>I'm trying to replace instances of a single quote "'" with a backslash
>single quote "\'".

you are likely having problem with either regex or Java quoting.

see http://mindprod.com/jgloss/regex.html#QUOTING
--
Canadian Mind Products, Roedy Green.
http://mindprod.com Java custom programming, consulting and coaching.

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 11:45:32 -0700, Knute Johnson
<> wrote, quoted or indirectly quoted someone
who said :

>> s.replaceAll(Pattern.quote("'"),
>> Matcher.quoteReplacement("\\'"));
>>
>> This is a classic example of poor API design, and it's confused
>> thousands of people and cost thousands of man-hours of effort.
>>
>
>It sure is and it sure has!
>
>--

if we had to do this over, i think you would have named methods:

replaceFirst, replaceAll, replacePatterns

or perhaps

replaceChars, replaceString, replaceStrings, replacePatterns

--
Canadian Mind Products, Roedy Green.
http://mindprod.com Java custom programming, consulting and coaching.

Roedy Green < > wrote:
> if we had to do this over, i think you would have named methods:
>
> replaceFirst, replaceAll, replacePatterns
>
> or perhaps
>
> replaceChars, replaceString, replaceStrings, replacePatterns

I think I would have done replaceAll(String, String) and also a
replaceAll(Pattern, String).

--
www.designacourse.com
The Easiest Way To Train Anyone... Anywhere.

Chris Smith - Lead Software Developer/Technical Trainer
MindIQ Corporation