Use of regex global flag in String.prototype.replace method example

[chrisdavidmills]

@185driver commented on Fri Dec 11 2020

Content Issue

• [ ] Please close this issue, I accidentally submitted it without adding any details
• [ ] New documentation
• [x] Correction or update

URL of page you are seeing the problem on:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/String/replace

Details

In line 3 of the JavaScript Demo near the top of the page, the regex code line is const regex = /dog/gi;. I would suggest that given the page relates to the replace method (and not replaceAll), the regex global flag should be removed to read const regex = /dog/i;. Doing so would provide a consistent expected output result for both examples.

I think the usefulness of this small change becomes more apparent after comparing this page with the replaceAll method here. The use of the regex global flag seems more appropriate in the latter than in the former.

Thanks for considering.

[MendyBerger]

I think a few more changes would make sense:

• The string example should probably be before the regex example, as I assume most people coming to this page are more interested in the string replacement.
• The /g global flag in the replaceAll example is redundant as global search is what replaceAll is all about.

Hope you don't mind me chiming in :)

If you think all this makes sense, please assign to me

[chrisdavidmills]

Assigned; cheers @MendyBerger !

[MendyBerger]

Turns out that my point about replaceAll together with /g being redundant is wrong

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/String/replaceAll#Non-global_regex_throws

[MendyBerger]

Think this is resolved now