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Regex expression to replace invalid filename characters.

Does anyone have a good regex expression to replace any invalid filename
characters in a string? Those characters are:
/, \, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |

I have it right now with string.replace for each individual character,
but would like to do it all in one step if possible. Here's what I have
now:

title = title.Replace("?", "");
title = title.Replace(":", "");
title = title.Replace("\\", "");
title = title.Replace("/", "");
title = title.Replace("*", "");
title = title.Replace("\"", "");
title = title.Replace("<", "");
title = title.Replace(">", "");
title = title.Replace("|", "");
newFileName += title + targetFile.Extension;
targetFile.MoveTo(newFileName);
Thanks!
Greg
Nov 15 '05 #1
4 27312
GregMa <gr****@spamhole.com> wrote in
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om:
Does anyone have a good regex expression to replace any invalid
filename characters in a string? Those characters are:
/, \, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |

I have it right now with string.replace for each individual
character, but would like to do it all in one step if possible.
Here's what I have now:

title = title.Replace("?", "");
title = title.Replace(":", "");
title = title.Replace("\\", "");
title = title.Replace("/", "");
title = title.Replace("*", "");
title = title.Replace("\"", "");
title = title.Replace("<", "");
title = title.Replace(">", "");
title = title.Replace("|", "");
newFileName += title + targetFile.Extension;
targetFile.MoveTo(newFileName);


Greg,

Something like this should work:

newFileName = Regex.Replace(title, @"[?:\/*""<>|]", "");

Hope this helps.

Chris.
-------------
C.R. Timmons Consulting, Inc.
http://www.crtimmonsinc.com/
Nov 15 '05 #2
In article <Xn**********************************@207.46.248.1 6>,
crtimmons@X_NOSPAM_Xcrtimmonsinc.com says...
GregMa <gr****@spamhole.com> wrote in
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om:
Does anyone have a good regex expression to replace any invalid
filename characters in a string? Those characters are:
/, \, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |

Greg,

Something like this should work:

newFileName = Regex.Replace(title, @"[?:\/*""<>|]", "");

Hope this helps.


Worked like a charm, Thanks! I had an extra ^ at the beginning, that's
why my attempt didn't work. Many thanks!

Greg
Nov 15 '05 #3
Chris R. Timmons wrote:
GregMa <gr****@spamhole.com> wrote in
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om:

Does anyone have a good regex expression to replace any invalid
filename characters in a string? Those characters are:
/, \, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |

I have it right now with string.replace for each individual
character, but would like to do it all in one step if possible.
Here's what I have now:

title = title.Replace("?", "");
<snip>
Something like this should work:

newFileName = Regex.Replace(title, @"[?:\/*""<>|]", "");


Or possibly use the String.Trim function instead which can trim off a
list of chars. ... Regex may be a bit of overkill in this instance.

Nov 15 '05 #4
I'd also make sure you don't miss anything by using the InvalidPathChars
property of
the Path class. Some strange characters can find their way into names like
backspaces,
nulls, etc...
--
Justin Rogers
DigiTec Web Consultants, LLC.
Blog: http://weblogs.asp.net/justin_rogers
"@my.email> >" <I.hate,spam\"@my.email> wrote in message
news:c2**********@otis.netspace.net.au...
Chris R. Timmons wrote:
GregMa <gr****@spamhole.com> wrote in
news:MP************************@msnews.microsoft.c om:

Does anyone have a good regex expression to replace any invalid
filename characters in a string? Those characters are:
/, \, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |

I have it right now with string.replace for each individual
character, but would like to do it all in one step if possible.
Here's what I have now:

title = title.Replace("?", "");

<snip>

Something like this should work:

newFileName = Regex.Replace(title, @"[?:\/*""<>|]", "");


Or possibly use the String.Trim function instead which can trim off a
list of chars. ... Regex may be a bit of overkill in this instance.

Nov 15 '05 #5

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