javascript trim nightmare

[Henri]

Hello,

any idea why a regexp-based trim function would work fine in firefox but
not in ie?

code is

String.prototype.trim = function() {
re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");
}

it trims trailing spaces. I've tried various regular expressions. The
point is: this works in firefox (where supplied strings are trimed fine)
but ie (always ie -oh i wish ie didn't even exist!) the function returns
an unchanged string.

Thanks

[David Mark]

On Sep 27, 1:50 pm, Henri <[e-mail]:

Hello,

any idea why a regexp-based trim function would work fine in firefox but
not in ie?

code is

String.prototype.trim = function() {
re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");

}

it trims trailing spaces. I've tried various regular expressions. The
point is: this works in firefox (where supplied strings are trimed fine)
but ie (always ie -oh i wish ie didn't even exist!) the function returns
an unchanged string.

Thanks

String.prototype.trim = function() {
var re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");
};

var test = 'test ';
test = test.trim();
alert(test.length);

This alerts 4 in IE7. BTW, it isn't the problem, but you didn't
declare re. Also, you shouldn't call this trim as it only trims
trailing spaces.

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

Henri wrote:

any idea why a regexp-based trim function would work fine in firefox but
not in ie?

code is

String.prototype.trim = function() {
re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");
}

it trims trailing spaces. I've tried various regular expressions. The
point is: this works in firefox (where supplied strings are trimed fine)
but ie (always ie -oh i wish ie didn't even exist!) the function returns
an unchanged string.

WFM in

- Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows NT 5.0)
- Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.01; Windows NT 5.0; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)
- Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)
- Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)
- Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)

However, you should declare `re' with `var' (or remove it), `*' is
inefficient (use `+' instead), and `g' is unnecessary (your expression is
anchored).
HTH

PointedEars
--
var bugRiddenCrashPronePieceOfJunk = (
navigator.userAgent.indexOf('MSIE 5') != -1
&& navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mac') != -1
) // Plone, register_function.js:16

[Randy Webb]

Henri said the following on 9/27/2007 1:50 PM:

Hello,

any idea why a regexp-based trim function would work fine in firefox but
not in ie?

Because something else you are doing is causing it to not work in IE.
Why reinvent the wheel though? There is a perfect solution to trimming
in the group FAQ:

<URL: http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html#FAQ4_16>

code is

String.prototype.trim = function() {
re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");
}

it trims trailing spaces. I've tried various regular expressions. The
point is: this works in firefox (where supplied strings are trimed fine)
but ie (always ie -oh i wish ie didn't even exist!) the function returns
an unchanged string.

I wish IE didn't exist either. Then I wouldn't have to read people's
rants about it.

String.prototype.trim = function() {
re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");
}

var theString = "String with trailing spaces ";
alert('>' + theString.trim() + '<')

alerts >String with trailing spaces<

So, what is it about it that "doesn't work" in IE?

--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javascript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[Henri]

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:50:10 -0400, Randy Webb wrote:

Henri said the following on 9/27/2007 1:50 PM:

>Hello,

any idea why a regexp-based trim function would work fine in firefox
but not in ie?

Because something else you are doing is causing it to not work in IE.
Why reinvent the wheel though? There is a perfect solution to trimming
in the group FAQ:

<URL: http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html#FAQ4_16>

>code is

String.prototype.trim = function() {
re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");
}

it trims trailing spaces. I've tried various regular expressions. The
point is: this works in firefox (where supplied strings are trimed
fine) but ie (always ie -oh i wish ie didn't even exist!) the function
returns an unchanged string.

I wish IE didn't exist either. Then I wouldn't have to read people's
rants about it.

i like to hate ie.

String.prototype.trim = function() {
re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");
}

var theString = "String with trailing spaces "; alert('>' +
theString.trim() + '<')

alerts >String with trailing spaces<

So, what is it about it that "doesn't work" in IE?

[Henri]

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:00:45 -0700, David Mark wrote:

On Sep 27, 1:50 pm, Henri <[e-mail]:

>Hello,

any idea why a regexp-based trim function would work fine in firefox
but not in ie?

code is

String.prototype.trim = function() {
re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");

}

it trims trailing spaces. I've tried various regular expressions. The
point is: this works in firefox (where supplied strings are trimed
fine) but ie (always ie -oh i wish ie didn't even exist!) the function
returns an unchanged string.

Thanks

String.prototype.trim = function() {
var re = /\s*$/g;
return this.replace(re, "");
};

var test = 'test ';
test = test.trim();
alert(test.length);

This alerts 4 in IE7. BTW, it isn't the problem, but you didn't declare
re. Also, you shouldn't call this trim as it only trims trailing
spaces.

thank you

[Randy Webb]

Henri said the following on 9/28/2007 3:15 AM:

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:50:10 -0400, Randy Webb wrote:

>Henri said the following on 9/27/2007 1:50 PM:

<snip>

>>it trims trailing spaces. I've tried various regular expressions. The
point is: this works in firefox (where supplied strings are trimed
fine) but ie (always ie -oh i wish ie didn't even exist!) the function
returns an unchanged string.

I wish IE didn't exist either. Then I wouldn't have to read people's
rants about it.

i like to hate ie.

That's nice[1]. It would be even nicer if you had some reason to hate it
other than your inability to debug bad code.
[1]<URL: http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/hikksnotathome/thatsNice.html>
--
Randy
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
comp.lang.javascript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq/index.html
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[Henri]

On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 03:39:13 -0400, Randy Webb wrote:

Henri said the following on 9/28/2007 3:15 AM:

>On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:50:10 -0400, Randy Webb wrote:

>>Henri said the following on 9/27/2007 1:50 PM:

<snip>

>>>it trims trailing spaces. I've tried various regular expressions. The
point is: this works in firefox (where supplied strings are trimed
fine) but ie (always ie -oh i wish ie didn't even exist!) the
function returns an unchanged string.
I wish IE didn't exist either. Then I wouldn't have to read people's
rants about it.

i like to hate ie.

That's nice[1]. It would be even nicer if you had some reason to hate it
other than your inability to debug bad code.
[1]<URL: http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/hikksnotathome/thatsNice.html>

funny