String.replace regular expressions

[robcav86]

Can we use regular expressions in the string.replace method? For example:

strCallingNumber.replace("/'[+]?[9]?[+]?[1]?(\d{3})?(\d{3})(\d{4})|([135]\d{4})$/","$1-$2-$3$4")

This doesn't seem to do it, I tried without the quotes as well... 

[balaji.bandi]

With this we would not be able to define what is your goal

can you explain, what is your input and what you expect to replace ?

or just use this website give you so many combinations to test

https://regex101.com/

[robcav86]

To reformat a string to phone number. External calls come in as 918881231234 and internal as 3XXXX

I want external to be formatted as 888-123-1234 and internal to remain as is 31234

Thats actually the site I used to build the expression and it works as far as I can tell

[robcav86 · Accepted solution]

string.replaceAll(pattern as string,replacement as string) does not want the slashes on the regular expression pattern. The following gives me what I want, or at least expected

strTelNumber.replaceAll("[+]?[9]?[+]?[1]?(\d{3})?(\d{3})(\d{4})|([135]\d{4})$","$1-$2-$3$4")

[Anthony Holloway]

Actually, it's replaceAll() and replaceFirst() which allow regex.

References:
https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/String.html
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/10827872/difference-between-string-replace-and-replaceall
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2890700/backreferences-syntax-in-replacement-strings-why-dollar-sign

[robcav86]

strCallingNumber.replaceAll("/[+]?[9]?[+]?[1]?(\d{3})?(\d{3})(\d{4})|([135]\d{4})$/","$1-$2-$3$4")

Input 918882223333

Desired output 888-222-3333

Input 31111

Desired output 31111

Am I going about this wrong?