How Can I Replace Whole Words in a String Without Affecting Partial Matches?

Replacing Whole Words with String.Replace

In string processing, it often becomes necessary to replace specific words within a text. However, using String.Replace may result in undesired partial matches. This article explores a technique to ensure that only whole words are replaced.

Using Regular Expressions

To replace only whole words, regular expressions provide a convenient solution. The b metacharacter is used to match word boundaries, which helps identify the complete presence of the word.

C# Example

In C#, the following code demonstrates this approach:

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.NET Example

For VB.NET, the equivalent code is:

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)

Key Points

• Use the b metacharacter in the regular expression pattern to match word boundaries.
• Consider using RegexOptions.IgnoreCase if necessary.
• This technique replaces whole words, leaving partial matches untouched.
• Regular expressions provide a versatile tool for advanced text manipulation and pattern matching.

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