How to Replace Whole Words in a String Using Regular Expressions in VB or C#?

Regex for Precise Word-Level String Replacement

The task involves replacing only whole words within a string, excluding partial matches. To achieve this, the question suggests utilizing either VB or C# code. While the context focuses on VB for SSRS 2008 code, a response in C# is also provided for reference.

Using Regular Expressions to Match Whole Words

The most straightforward approach is to employ regular expressions (regex) with the b metacharacter, which denotes word boundaries. This technique ensures that the replacement only occurs when a whole word matches the pattern.

C# Implementation

string input = "test, and test but not testing. But yes to test";
string pattern = @"\btest\b";
string replace = "text";
string result = Regex.Replace(input, pattern, replace);
Console.WriteLine(result);

VB Implementation (SSRS 2008)

Dim input As String = "test, and test but not testing.  But yes to test"
Dim pattern As String = "\btest\b"
Dim replace As String = "text"
Dim result As String = Regex.Replace(input, pattern, replace)
Console.WriteLine(result)

Case-Insensitive Matching

To perform a case-insensitive replacement, use the RegexOptions.IgnoreCase flag:

Regex.Replace(input, pattern, replace, RegexOptions.IgnoreCase);

Regex.Replace(input, pattern, replace, RegexOptions.IgnoreCase)

By employing regular expressions and matching word boundaries, you can effectively replace entire words within a string, preventing unintentional modifications involving partial matches.

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