Is there a way to eliminate a certain word from being used?

Question

Is there a way to eliminate a certain word from being used?

My goal is to mask inappropriate words with asterisks ***. However, I've encountered a challenge when the offensive word is part of another word that shouldn't be replaced.

for(var i = 0; i < forbidden.length; i++) {
    if(textBoxValue.search(forbidden[i]) > -1) {
        textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(forbidden[i], '');
    }
}

For instance, if the unacceptable word is "are", and it appears within another word like "aren't", I do not want it to display as "***n't". The replacement should only occur if the word stands alone.

javascript

Answer 1

Answer №1

To ensure that a matched word is standalone, one option is to use a regular expression with a word boundary on each side:

forbidden.forEach((word) => {
  textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(new RegExp('\\b' + word + '\\b', 'g'), '');
});

For instance:

let textBoxValue = 'bigwordfoo foo bar barbaz';
const forbidden = ['foo', 'bar'];

forbidden.forEach((word) => {
  textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(new RegExp('\\b' + word + '\\b', 'g'), '');
});
console.log(textBoxValue);

If the intention is to replace with asterisks instead of an empty string, a replacer function can be used:

let textBoxValue = 'bigwordfoo foo bar barbaz';
const forbidden = ['foo', 'bar'];

forbidden.forEach((word) => {
  textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(
    new RegExp('\\b' + word + '\\b', 'g'),
    word => '*'.repeat(word.length)
  );
});
console.log(textBoxValue);

It's worth noting that word restrictions can often be bypassed by determined individuals. Humans are usually able to find ways to outsmart heuristics.

If any of the blacklisted words contain special characters in a regular expression, it is recommended to escape them first before passing them to new RegExp:

const escape = s => s.replace(/[-\/\\^$*+?.()|[\]{}]/g, '\\$&');

let textBoxValue = 'bigwordfoo foo ba$r ba$rbaz';
const forbidden = ['foo', 'ba$r'];

forbidden.forEach((word) => {
  textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(
    new RegExp('\\b' + escape(word) + '\\b', 'g'),
    word => '*'.repeat(word.length)
  );
});
console.log(textBoxValue);

Answer 2

To ensure that a matched word is standalone, one option is to use a regular expression with a word boundary on each side:

forbidden.forEach((word) => {
  textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(new RegExp('\\b' + word + '\\b', 'g'), '');
});

For instance:

let textBoxValue = 'bigwordfoo foo bar barbaz';
const forbidden = ['foo', 'bar'];

forbidden.forEach((word) => {
  textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(new RegExp('\\b' + word + '\\b', 'g'), '');
});
console.log(textBoxValue);

If the intention is to replace with asterisks instead of an empty string, a replacer function can be used:

let textBoxValue = 'bigwordfoo foo bar barbaz';
const forbidden = ['foo', 'bar'];

forbidden.forEach((word) => {
  textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(
    new RegExp('\\b' + word + '\\b', 'g'),
    word => '*'.repeat(word.length)
  );
});
console.log(textBoxValue);

It's worth noting that word restrictions can often be bypassed by determined individuals. Humans are usually able to find ways to outsmart heuristics.

If any of the blacklisted words contain special characters in a regular expression, it is recommended to escape them first before passing them to new RegExp:

const escape = s => s.replace(/[-\/\\^$*+?.()|[\]{}]/g, '\\$&');

let textBoxValue = 'bigwordfoo foo ba$r ba$rbaz';
const forbidden = ['foo', 'ba$r'];

forbidden.forEach((word) => {
  textBoxValue = textBoxValue.replace(
    new RegExp('\\b' + escape(word) + '\\b', 'g'),
    word => '*'.repeat(word.length)
  );
});
console.log(textBoxValue);

Answer 3

Answer №2

To create a dynamic regex that includes all the forbidden words separated by a | for an alternation effect, you can surround it with word boundaries (\b) to ensure only full word matches are replaced.

For instance, if the forbidden words are 'bad', 'nasty', and 'dreadful', the resulting dynamic regex would be:

/\b(?:bad|nasty|dreadful)\b/g

In the second parameter of the replace function, the matched word is passed as a parameter. By utilizing the repeat method, you can replace the word with * characters repeated the same number of times as the length of the word to be replaced.

function replaceBadWords(textBoxValue, forbidden) {
  const regex = new RegExp(`\\b(?:${forbidden.join('|')})\\b`, 'g')
  return textBoxValue.replace(regex, m => "*".repeat(m.length))
}

const forbidden = ['bad', 'nasty', 'dreadful']

console.log(replaceBadWords('string with some nasty words in it', forbidden))
console.log(replaceBadWords("bad gets replaced with asterisks but badminton won't", forbidden))

Answer 4

To create a dynamic regex that includes all the forbidden words separated by a | for an alternation effect, you can surround it with word boundaries (\b) to ensure only full word matches are replaced.

For instance, if the forbidden words are 'bad', 'nasty', and 'dreadful', the resulting dynamic regex would be:

/\b(?:bad|nasty|dreadful)\b/g

In the second parameter of the replace function, the matched word is passed as a parameter. By utilizing the repeat method, you can replace the word with * characters repeated the same number of times as the length of the word to be replaced.

function replaceBadWords(textBoxValue, forbidden) {
  const regex = new RegExp(`\\b(?:${forbidden.join('|')})\\b`, 'g')
  return textBoxValue.replace(regex, m => "*".repeat(m.length))
}

const forbidden = ['bad', 'nasty', 'dreadful']

console.log(replaceBadWords('string with some nasty words in it', forbidden))
console.log(replaceBadWords("bad gets replaced with asterisks but badminton won't", forbidden))

Answer 5

Answer №3

Have you considered utilizing a library for filtering out inappropriate language? If not, or if you're looking for one to use, check out this repository.

This library already contains a comprehensive list of bad words, saving you the trouble of compiling your own list and potentially missing some.

One useful feature is the ability to use placeholders, such as:

var Filter = require('bad-words');
var customFilter = new Filter({ placeHolder: 'x'});

customFilter.clean('Don't be an ash0le'); //Don't be an xxxxxx

You can also customize the library by adding or removing your own set of bad words:

var filter = new Filter(); 

// add to list
filter.addWords('some', 'bad', 'word');

// remove from list
filter.removeWords('hells', 'sadist');

Additionally, the library offers multilingual support if you provide the appropriate regex patterns.

Answer 6

Have you considered utilizing a library for filtering out inappropriate language? If not, or if you're looking for one to use, check out this repository.

This library already contains a comprehensive list of bad words, saving you the trouble of compiling your own list and potentially missing some.

One useful feature is the ability to use placeholders, such as:

var Filter = require('bad-words');
var customFilter = new Filter({ placeHolder: 'x'});

customFilter.clean('Don't be an ash0le'); //Don't be an xxxxxx

You can also customize the library by adding or removing your own set of bad words:

var filter = new Filter(); 

// add to list
filter.addWords('some', 'bad', 'word');

// remove from list
filter.removeWords('hells', 'sadist');

Additionally, the library offers multilingual support if you provide the appropriate regex patterns.

Is there a way to eliminate a certain word from being used?

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

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