replaceText with square brackets in google script

Question

I am building a mail merge type function in google docs scripts. I have chosen to use square brackets to delimit the fields. I have noticed replaceText does strange things when matching for strings with square brackets, as demonstrated by the following test function.

function testReplace()
{
  var outputDoc = DocumentApp.create("testReplace");
  outputDoc.appendParagraph('Hello [World]');
  var body = outputDoc.getActiveSection();
  body.replaceText('[World]', 'There');
  // Document content:
  // HeThereThereThere [ThereThereThereThereThere]
  // I would have expected:
  // Hello There
}

Can anyone explain what is going on? Thanks in Advance.

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:51

0

You're replacing every occurrence of 'W','o','r','l', or 'd' with 'There'

[xyz] matches 'x', 'y', or 'z', not 'xyz'.

You need to escape the square brackets. Try "\[World\]"

Here's an answer with a basic primer on how to use regular expressions

edited May 23 '17 at 11:51

Community

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answered Jun 25 '15 at 12:03

StephenTG

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Thanks for setting me straight on this. – starry.au Jun 25 '15 at 12:14
@starry.au Glad I could help – StephenTG Jun 25 '15 at 12:15
Thanks for the explanation i did not realize this parameter was a regular expression, I can see form the output that this is how the parameter is being interpreted. However, when I included the escaped match string "\[WORLD\]" I get the same result. Can you recommend an alternative way to escape the brackets. – starry.au Jun 26 '15 at 10:35

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 21 '21 at 08:09

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I had the same issue, Use slash twise, this solved my issue.

answered Sep 21 '21 at 08:09

avch

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Please, be more explicit and explain why into the answer. – YLR Sep 21 '21 at 08:21

replaceText with square brackets in google script

2 Answers2