string split RegExp problem

[zep]

Hi.

I´d like to get an array from a split that´d remove all whitespaces from words, and return me only the words. Example:

var string = " test1 test2 test3 test4 ";

So I would want a regexp on split that´d remove all the whitespaces, and return only the words.

The array returned would be like this ["test1", "test2", "test3", "test4"].

Actually the string have more than one (various) white spaces between the words.
The Editor text of this forum cut them out.

Thanks.

[WolfShade]

Split on " " (space).. that's it.. you might have some array elements that are empty, but the ones that are not will be the words you seek.

[Old Pedant]

Yes, but it's easier overall to do as he requested, so that he doesn't have to worry about any empty elements.

Trivial:

var s = "               test1 test2 test3                                  test4 ";

var arr = s.replace(/\s+/g, " ").replace(/(^\s|\s$)/g,"").split(" ");

First, reduce all multiple spaces to one space. Then trim the space (if any) off the front and back of the string. Then split on space.

[007julien]

Or simply

var string = " test1 test2 test3 test4 ";
var arr = string.replace(/(^\s|\s$)/g,"").split(/\s+/g);

[Airblader]

@ 007julien

Actually even better would be

var string = " test1 test2 test3   test4 test5    test6    test7  ";
var arr = string.replace(/(^\s+|\s+$)/g,"").split(/\s+/g);

so it can also deal with multiple spaces at the beginning or end of the string.

However, as a general rule, when questions like this one come up I like to ask what it's for because this kind of thing might be an indication for bad design.