Breaking after one of several string replaces occur

Question

I have a script that matches a string against ~20 different regexs for the purpose of changing it. They are ordered and formed that the string will only ever match against one. How can I avoid checking all the str.replaces after I match once?

My code here works, but I repeat myself a lot and it does not seem optimal.

The while loop exists so I could break, I don't actually need to loop through anything - and in fact I ensure I don't loop at the end of it. I'm merely looking for a way to stop performing replaces, when I know they will do nothing.

function format_number(input){
 var str = input.value;
 str.toString();
 var copy = str;
 var checked = false;
 while (!checked) {
 str = str.replace(/regex1/, 'replace1');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex2/, 'replace2'); 
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex3/, 'replace3');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex4/, 'replace4');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex5/, 'replace5');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex6/, 'replace6');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex7/, 'replace7');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex8/, 'replace8');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex9/, 'replace9');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex10/, 'replace10');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex11/, 'replace11');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex12/, 'replace12');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex13/, 'replace13');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex14/, 'replace14');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex15/, 'replace15');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex16/, 'replace16');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 str = str.replace(/regex17/, 'replace17');
 if (copy != str) {break;}
 checked = true;
 }
 input.value=str;
}

• Bergi: When is checked set to true? Why is this an infinite loop at all?
• Devon Parsons: My mistake, I added the final line manually and put it in incorrectly. It should break after the first iteration.
• Bergi: Then what good is that loop at all?
• Bergi: Hm, a labelled block would've done that as well... or using if-else-statements. Regardless, what is the goal of this code? To have checked be true or false? To modify str?
• Rene Saarsoo: I have a feeling that this code could be improved much more if only we could also see the actual regexes. It's hard for me to understand what kind secret proprietary replacements one could do inside a function called format_number. Or maybe the function doesn't do what it's name suggests.

Answer 1

This seems to be a fine case for a loop over the expressions:

function format_input(input) {
 // decouple DOM things from pure functionality!
 input.value = format_number(input.value);
}
function format_number(str) {
 var replacements = [
 [/regex1/, 'replace1'],
 [/regex2/, 'replace2'],
 [/regex3/, 'replace3'],
 [/regex4/, 'replace4'],
 [/regex5/, 'replace5'],
 [/regex6/, 'replace6'],
 [/regex7/, 'replace7'],
 [/regex8/, 'replace8'],
 [/regex9/, 'replace9'],
 [/regex10/, 'replace10'],
 [/regex11/, 'replace11'],
 [/regex12/, 'replace12'],
 [/regex13/, 'replace13'],
 [/regex14/, 'replace14'],
 [/regex15/, 'replace15'],
 [/regex16/, 'replace16'],
 [/regex17/, 'replace17']
 ];
 for (var i=0; i<replacements.length; i++) {
 var copy = str.replace(replacements[i][0], replacements[i][1]);
 if (str != copy)
 return copy;
 }
 return str;
}