Splitting string in javascript

Question

How can I split the following string?

var str = "test":"abc","test1":"hello,hi","test2":"hello,hi,there";

If I use str.split(",") then I won't be able to get strings which contain commas.

Whats the best way to split the above string?

• Zed: Are you sure that's the string that you have? What you posted is not a valid JavaScript. (Looks like a JSON without curly braces, though.)
• Felix Kling: So you notice that the colons : are not inside the string? Where do you get the string from?

Answer 1

I assume it's actually:

var str = '"test":"abc","test1":"hello,hi","test2":"hello,hi,there"';

because otherwise it wouldn't even be valid JavaScript.

If I had a string like this I would parse it as an incomplete JSON which it seems to be:

var obj = JSON.parse('{'+str+'}');

and then use is as a plain object:

alert(obj.test1); // says: hello,hi

See DEMO

Update 1: Looking at other answers I wonder whether it's only me who sees it as invalid JavaScript?

Update 2: Also, is it only me who sees it as a JSON without curly braces?

Answer 2

Though not clear with your input. Here is what I can suggest.

str.split('","'); and then append the double quotes to each string

Answer 3

str.split('","'); Difficult to say given the formatting

if Zed is right though you can do this (assuming the opening and closing {)

str = eval(str);
var test = str.test; // Returns abc
var test1 = str.test1; // returns hello,hi
//etc

Answer 4

That's a general problem in all languages: if the items you need contain the delimiter, it gets complicated.

The simplest way would be to make sure the delimiter is unique. If you can't do that, you will probably have to iterate over the quoted Strings manually, something like this:

var arr = [];
var result = text.match(/"([^"]*"/g);
for (i in result) {
 arr.push(i);
}

Answer 5

Iterate once over the string and replace commas(,) following a (") and followed by a (") with a (%) or something not likely to find in your little strings. Then split by (%) or whatever you chose.