Regex for the People: Valid JSON to CoffeeScript Object

Regex for the People: Valid JSON to CoffeeScript Object.md

###Initial String { "user": { "username": "jakealbaugh", "email": "jake@example.com" }, "number": 1 }

###Desired String user: username: "jakealbaugh" email: "jake@example.com" number: 1

###Goal 1: "Remove quotes from keys" ####Find Pattern "(.*)":

• " finds beginning of JSON "key".
  • ( opens new capture group. contents represented by $1 in replace.
    • . any character except a new line
    • * preceding token zero to infinite times
  • ) closes capture group
• " closes key
• : mandates that the key must be immediately followed by a literal colon.
  • prevents value strings from being replaced

####Replace With $1:

• replace with capture group and a literal colon

###Goal 2: "Remove end-of-line commas" ####Find Pattern ,\n

• , finds instance of a comma.
• \n finds new line. mandates that the prior comma is at the end of the line
  • prevents commas in value strings from being replaced
  • \: escapes following character. \n = new line, n = literal "n"

####Replace With \n

• replace with a new line

###Goal 3: "Remove brackets" ####Find Pattern (.*)[{}]$

• ( opends a capture group
  • . any character except new line
  • * preceeding token zero to infinite times
• ) closes the capture group
• [ initiates new character class
  • {} "literal { or literal }"
• ] closes character class
• $ end of line.
  • since we removed commas in Goal 2, all } should be followed by an end of line.

####Replace With $1

• replace with capture group 1, or anything on the same line that came before the bracket

###Goal 4: Remove excess new lines ####Find Pattern \n *$

• \n a new line
• a space
• * preceeding token zero to infinite times (space)
• $ end of line

####Replace With

• replace with nothing, removing the selection