Perform mutation operations on text strings (or text files). Useful for (simple) automatic code refactorings f.ex in code generators.

Getting Started

Install the module with: npm install string-mutator

Install with cli command

$ npm install -g string-mutator
$ string-mutator --help
$ string-mutator --version

Browserify

$ npm run-script browser

Documentation

Quick start

var mutators = require('mutators');
var sm = mutators.string; // string mutator
var fm = mutators.file; // file mutator

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15"

// String mutator
sm.last('Jane has 15').remove().on(msg);

// using content
sm.content(msg).last(/\d+/g).replaceWith('32');


// File mutator - performing string mutations
fm.readFile('test/files/test.txt').perform(function() {
    return this.first(/\d+/).prepend('$');
  }).write();

console.log('wrote', written, res.lastWritten);
res.write(res.original);

String mutator API

The string mutation API uses chaining. To start a chain, use any of:

• first(matchExpr)
• last(matchExpr)
• content(text)

first and last

The first and last functions each take a matching expression that can be a simple string or a regular expression.

The result can chained with any of:

• append
• prepend
• replaceWith
• remove

append and prepend

sm.first(matchExpr).append('<FOUND>', target);

chaining

Both append and prepend can be chained with to like this

sm.first(matchExpr).append("\nEND").to(target);

relaceWith and remove

sm.first(matchExpr).remove(target);

chaining

replace and remove can be chained with on like this:

sm.first(matchExpr).replaceWith(something).on(target);

first.prepend

var sm = require('string-mutator');

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15"
var res = sm.first(/\d+/g).prepend('$', msg);

// => "Peter has $8 dollars and Jane has 15"

The following pattern valid for any prepend/append action.

`(text).to(content)*``

append(text).to(content) or prepend(text).to(content)

var sm = require('../lib/string-mutator.js');

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15"
var res = sm.first(/\d+/g).prepend('$').to(msg);

// => "Peter has $8 dollars and Jane has 15"

first.append

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15"
var res = sm.first(/\d+/g).append('$', msg);
res = sm.first(/\d+/g).append('$').to(msg);

// => "Peter has 8$ dollars and Jane has 15"

last.prepend

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15"
var res = sm.last(/\d+/g).prepend('$', msg);
// res = sm.last(/\d+/g).prepend('$').to(msg);

// => "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has $15");

last.append

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15$"
var res = sm.last(/\d+/g).append('$', msg);
// res = sm.last(/\d+/g).append('$').to(msg);

// => "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15$");

replaceWith

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15$"
var res = sm.last(/\d+/g).replaceWith('42', msg);

res = sm.first(/\d+/g).replaceWith('42').on(msg);

// => "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 42");

remove

Replace match with empty content ;)

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15"
var res = sm.last('and Jane has 15').remove(msg);
sm.last(/\d+/g).remove().on(msg);

// => "Peter has 8 dollars");

Content

An alternative is to start off by wrapping the text in a content object

Content can be chained with any of the following:

• first
• last
• before
• after
• between
• prependTxt
• appendTxt

var msg = "Peter has 8 dollars and Jane has 15"
sm.content(msg).last('Jane has 15').remove();

// => "Peter has 8 dollars");

Before

before is chained on a content object and returns a new content object with the text before a match. Optionally it can take a matcher indicator string, which can be set to 'first' or 'last' (effectively: "before first" or "before last")

var msg = "Peter has 15 dollars, Jane has 15 and Paul has 32"
sm.content(msg).before(/Jane/).last(/\d+/g).replaceWith('20');

// => Peter has 20 dollars, Jane has 15 and Paul has 32

chaining prependTxt on before prepends the text before the match.

msg = "Peter have 12 dollars, Paul"
var res = sm.content(msg).before(/Paul/).prependTxt('Tina has 7.').result;
// => Peter have 12 dollars, Tina has 7

Using `mergeRest()``

msg = "Peter have 12 dollars, Paul"
var res = sm.content(msg).before(/Paul/).prependTxt('Tina has 7 and').mergeRest();
// => Peter have 12 dollars, Tina has 7 and Paul

before last

before (and after) also take an options hash for further control. The match: 'last' option can be used to find the last match within the scope.

msg = "Peter have 12 dollars, Paul is here Paul goes back"
var res = sm.content(msg).before(/Paul/, {include: true, match: 'last'}).prependTxt('Tina has 7 and').mergeRest();
// => Peter have 12 dollars, Paul is here Tina has 7 and Paul goes back

For convenience beforeLast and afterLast methods are also available.

`var res = sm.content(msg).beforeLast(/Paul/)``

After

Same as before but instead "after" ;)

If in doubt, see the test suite in the /test folder.

Between

between is chained on a content object and returns a new content object with the text between two matches.

var msg = "Peter has 15 dollars, Jane has 15 and Paul has 32 or 15"
sm.content(msg).between(/Peter/).and(/Paul/).last(/\d+/g).replaceWith('20');

// => Peter has 15 dollars, Jane has 20 and Paul has 32 or 15

inclusive

Both between, and are exclusive by default. You can now also use an options hash {include: true} to be inclusive. This option can also be used with before and after.

var msg = "Peter has 15 dollars, Jane has 15 and Paul has 32 or 15"
sm.content(msg).between(/Peter/, {include: true}).and(/Paul/, {include: true}).result;

// => Peter has 15 dollars, Jane has 20 and Paul

Shorthand inclusive:

`sm.content(msg).betweenIncl(/Peter/).andIncl(/Paul/)``

prependTxt

Adds text at beginning of content

`sm.content("Kristian").prependTxt('Hello, Sir ')``

appendTxt

Adds text at the end of content

sm.content("Paula").appendTxt(', says Goodbye')

Status

All tests pass :)

More advanced operations

For even more string manipulation, I recommend splitting a string into its multiple parts using a split function, then iterating through them and using this API on each part, then joining them back together.

You are most welcome to propose a nice API to facilitate this.

File mutator API

File mutation always starts with readFile

var fileMutateObj = fm.readFile('test/files/test.txt');

The result of readFile should always be chained with perform, which performs the string mutation on the content read.

perform wraps the read content in a content object (see: String mutator API) which becomes this in the context/scope of the function.

fm.readFile('test/files/test.txt').perform(function() {
    return this.first(/\d+/).prepend('$');
  })

The result of the perform mutation can be chained with any of:

• write([newContent])
• writeFile(fileName, [newContent])
• read()
• lastWritten
• original

Complete example:

fm.readFile('test/files/test.txt').perform(function() {
    return this.first(/\d+/).prepend('$');
  }).write();

console.log('wrote', written, res.lastWritten);
res.write(res.original);

res.writeFile('another_file.txt');

TODO

Cleanup and Refactor!!! Lot's of duplication :(

Add more customizability than simply first/last. It would be sweet if user could pass a function that selects one or more matches to operate on/from.

Contributing

Add unit tests for any new or changed functionality. Lint and test your code using Grunt.

License

Copyright (c) 2014 Kristian Mandrup
Licensed under the MIT license.