Skip to main content
C
croxover
Known Participant
January 14, 2011
Answered

Search Array of String for exact match words

  • January 14, 2011
  • 1 reply
  • 1039 views

I need to create a search feature.

There will be a textfield where the user will input a word or words.

Then I need to check if the are any reference in the array of names.

namesArray ["ocean in the sky", "cean on sky", "cean is white"];
keywordsArray ["cean", "sky"];
matchCounter = 0;

If I input the word "cean" I dont want in my results "ocean in the sky", only "cean is sky".

I have the following code:

for (var j:int = 0; j < namesArray.length; ++j)
{
     var tempStr:String = namesArray;
     for (var k:int = 0; k < keywordsArray.length; ++k)
     {                    
          if (tempStr.indexOf(arrayKeywords) != -1)
          {
              matchCounter++;
          }
     }
     if(lengthKeywords == matchCounter)
                              {
          trace("yeahhh... there's a match!!");
     }
     matchCounter = 0;
}

Is there a better way? How can I do this?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Kenneth Kawamoto

There are few things but the main problem is that "new RegExp()" needs double escapes ("\\")

...
            var namesArray:Array = ["ocean in the sky", "cean on sky", "cean is white"];
            var keywordsArray:Array = ["cean", "sky"];
    
            for (var j:int = 0; j < namesArray.length; j++){
                var matchCounter:uint = 0;
                var tempStr:String = namesArray;
                
                for (var k:int = 0; k < keywordsArray.length; k++){      
                    var regExp:RegExp = new RegExp("(\\s+|^)" + keywordsArray + "(\\s+|$)");  
                    
                    if (tempStr.search(regExp) > -1){
                        matchCounter++;
                    }
                }
                
                if(keywordsArray.length == matchCounter){
                    trace("\"" + namesArray + "\" matched all the keywords");
                }
            }
...

Traces:

"cean on sky" matched all the keywords

1 reply

Kenneth Kawamoto
Community Expert
Kenneth KawamotoCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 14, 2011

indexOf() is no use for this if you want "ocean" to fail the test against "cean":

trace(("cean on the sky").indexOf("cean") > -1);
// true
trace(("ocean in the sky").indexOf("cean") > -1);
// true (<- you want this to be false)

RegExp is the answer 

trace(("cean on sky").search(/(\s+|^)cean(\s+|$)/) > -1); 
// true
trace(("ocean in the sky").search(/(\s+|^)cean(\s+|$)/) > -1);
// false
C
croxoverAuthor
Known Participant
January 14, 2011
for (var j:int = 0; j < namesArray.length; ++j)
{
     var tempStr:String = namesArray;
     for (var k:int = 0; k < keywordsArray.length; ++k)
     {      
          var strExp:String = '/(\s+|^)' + keywordsArray + '(\s+|$)/';
          var regExp:RegExp = new RegExp(strExp);  
          if (tempStr.search(regExp) > -1)
          {
              matchCounter++;
          }
     }
     if(keywordsArray.length == matchCounter)
     {
          trace("yeahhh... there's a match!!");
     }
     matchCounter = 0;
}

Much appreciated for your reply...

I tried something like this. But Its not working...

What I'm doing wrong?

Kenneth Kawamoto
Community Expert
Kenneth KawamotoCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
January 14, 2011

There are few things but the main problem is that "new RegExp()" needs double escapes ("\\")

...
            var namesArray:Array = ["ocean in the sky", "cean on sky", "cean is white"];
            var keywordsArray:Array = ["cean", "sky"];
    
            for (var j:int = 0; j < namesArray.length; j++){
                var matchCounter:uint = 0;
                var tempStr:String = namesArray;
                
                for (var k:int = 0; k < keywordsArray.length; k++){      
                    var regExp:RegExp = new RegExp("(\\s+|^)" + keywordsArray + "(\\s+|$)");  
                    
                    if (tempStr.search(regExp) > -1){
                        matchCounter++;
                    }
                }
                
                if(keywordsArray.length == matchCounter){
                    trace("\"" + namesArray + "\" matched all the keywords");
                }
            }
...

Traces:

"cean on sky" matched all the keywords

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices