# Regex to transform java code to ecma script

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/regex-to-transform-java-code-to-ecma-script/74460>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [November 7, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/regex-to-transform-java-code-to-ecma-script/74460 "2006-11-07T10:44:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pondus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@pondus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pondus)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/regex-to-transform-java-code-to-ecma-script/74460/1 "2006-11-07T10:44:32Z")

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Hi,

I was hoping someone could provide me with a better way to accomplish  
(preferrably in one line) the following simple task:

# typical method declaration in a java interface

code = “public void myFunction(String foo);”

# needs to be transformed into the following e.g. Actionscript 2.0

(ECMA)

# public function myFunction(foo:String):Void;

java = code.gsub(/(public) (._?) (._).\*(;)/) { $1 + ’ function ’ + $3

- ‘:’ + $2.capitalize + “;” }  
puts code.gsub(/((String) (foo))/,’(\2:\1)’)

It works, but it’s not very slick…

Thanks!

Peder 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pondus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@pondus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pondus)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/regex-to-transform-java-code-to-ecma-script/74460/2 "2006-11-07T10:44:33Z")

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Sorry, my mistake…cut and paste is dangerous. The code should read:

code = “public void myFunction(String foo);”

code = code.gsub(/(public) (._?) (._).\*(;)/) { $1 + ’ function ’ + $3

- ‘:’ + $2.capitalize + “;” }

puts code.gsub(/((String) (foo))/,’(\2:\1)’)

Thanks again,

Peder 🙂

pondus wrote:

> # public function myFunction(foo:String):Void;
> 
> java = code.gsub(/(public) (._?) (._).\*(;)/) { $1 + ’ function ’ + $3
> 
> - ‘:’ + $2.capitalize + “;” }  
> puts code.gsub(/((String) (foo))/,’(\2:\1)’)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pondus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@pondus](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pondus)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/regex-to-transform-java-code-to-ecma-script/74460/3 "2006-11-07T10:48:09Z")

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If you can convert Java to ActionScript with a one-line regex, that’s  
pretty good.