Remove HTML content groups from start to end of string in JavaScript

Question

I need a regex that could remove the full tag from start to end.
For eg.:
For the given string:

var str = "Hello <script> console.log('script tag') </script> World";

I need an output:

"Hello  World" // with full script tag including inner content removed

I am very specific for only the RegEx solution, so don't need browser append tricks.
Kindly notify if this is not possible at all.

I tried this and its variations:

inputString.replace( /<\/?[^>]+(>|$)/g, "" );

But this is not achieving what I want and is removing only the tag elements, leaving the inner content. What RegEx groups should I create in the expression?

I do not need to address stuff like type="text/javascript", as they are already filtered before I receive the string. No jQuery plz. (I need to store the RegEx as a property to my filter object).

Help appreciated.

Required read for everyone who asks about parsing HTML with regular expressions: stackoverflow.com/questions/1732348/… — Philipp
– Philipp, Commented Oct 28, 2013 at 10:23
Have bookmarked that answer long back in my Stack folder, don't want to simply increase its view. I don't need a Chuck Norris RegEx for matching tags. My conditions are limited. Given a limited set of conditions, it can be done! — Om Shankar
– Om Shankar, Commented Oct 28, 2013 at 10:28

anubhava · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-28 10:23:21Z

4

This is pure regex solution:

var str = "Hello <script> console.log('script tag') </script> World";
var repl = str.replace(/<([^.]+)>.*?<\/\1>/ig, '');
//=> "Hello  World"

with an assumption that there is no < OR > between opening and closing tags.

answered Oct 28, 2013 at 10:23

anubhava

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6 Comments

Om Shankar Over a year ago

I didn't know that we can use \1 in that very expression, Have always used in the expression after the comma. Worked. Thanks!

anubhava Over a year ago

Yes \1 is back-reference that can be used in the regex itself.

Gulmuhammad Akbari Over a year ago

If I want to remove the specific tag with its content, could you please help me?

Gulmuhammad Akbari Over a year ago

@anubhava it doesn't work str.replace(/<(a)\s*[^>]*>.*?<\/\1>/ig, '') and I want to remove all a tags with its content please help me to solve this.

anubhava Over a year ago

@GulmuhammadAkbari: Comments is not the right place to ask new questions. Please post a new question and you will get answers.

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