gistfile1.js

getLiteralStrings = function (queryString) {
	
	// this function steps through the input string, recognizes literal strings,
	// remembers their position in the input string and returns an array that
	// contains objects like this:
	// {startPoint: n, endPoint: m, sequenceOfCharacters: s}
	
	var currentlyInString 				= false;
	var delimeterOfCurrentString 	= "";
	var numberOfCurrentString			= 0;
	var isStringDelimeter					= {"'": true, '"': true};
	var isEscapeCharacter					= {"\\": true};
	var currentCharacter 					= "";
	var previousCharacter					= "";
	
	var literalStrings						= [];			//to be returned
	
	// first find the strings start- and end-points:
	
	for (var i=0; i < queryString.length; i++) {
		currentCharacter = queryString[i];
		
		if ( currentlyInString ) {
			if ( currentCharacter == delimeterOfCurrentString 
				&& ! isEscapeCharacter[previousCharacter]  ) {
					
			currentlyInString = false;
			literalStrings[numberOfCurrentString].endPoint = i;
			numberOfCurrentString++;
			};
		}
		else {
			if ( isStringDelimeter[currentCharacter] ) {

				currentlyInString = true;
				delimeterOfCurrentString = currentCharacter;
				literalStrings[numberOfCurrentString] = {startPoint: i};
			};
		};
			
		previousCharacter = currentCharacter;
	};
	
	// then extract the strings:
	
	return literalStrings;
};