Replace parts of a string using regex patterns

Summary

The replacestring macro applies regex-based replacement to a single string, supporting back-references for captured groups.

Syntax 

${replacestring;<string>;<regex>[;<replacement>]}

Parameters

  • string - The string to process
  • regex - Regular expression pattern to match
  • replacement (optional) - Replacement string with $1-$9 back-references (default: empty)

Behavior

  • Applies string.replaceAll(regex, replacement)
  • Supports regex back-references ($1, $2, etc.)
  • Default replacement is empty (removes matches)
  • All occurrences are replaced

Examples

Simple replacement:

description: This is, possibly, the best implementation ever!
${replacestring;${description};possibly;definitely}
# Returns: "This is, definitely, the best implementation ever!"

Remove pattern:

${replacestring;version-1.2.3;version-;}
# Returns: "1.2.3"

Using back-references:

${replacestring;com.example.impl;com\.(.+)\.impl;$1}
# Returns: "example"

Multiple replacements:

${replacestring;hello world;[aeiou];*}
# Returns: "h*ll* w*rld"

Path normalization:

${replacestring;${path};\\;/}
# Replace backslashes with forward slashes

Use Cases

  • String transformations
  • Pattern-based modifications
  • Text cleanup
  • Path normalization
  • Version string manipulation
  • String formatting

Notes

  • Regex uses Java syntax
  • All occurrences replaced
  • Empty replacement removes text
  • For lists, use ${replace} or ${replacelist}
  • See also: ${replace} for list processing
  • See also: ${subst} for simple string substitution

See test cases in MacroTestsForDocsExamples.java