fuzzymap

Fuzzy mapping for string replacement.

Installation

Via npm

$ npm install fuzzymap

Run the tests

$ make test

Map Syntax

Making a map is as simple as making a hash:

• key: is the string you want returned
• value: is a string, regular expression, or an array containg strings and/or regular expressions.

Sample map making:

var fuzzymap = require('fuzzymap');
var mapper = fuzzymapper.defineMap({
    'Grettings': /hello/ig,
    'Goodbye': "bye",
    'No Cursing!': ["fcuk", /sh[ia]t?/, "avada kedavra"]
});

mapper.map("HELLO, guv'na!");     //returns 'Greetings'
mapper.map("goodbyeee nurse!");   //returns 'Goodbye'
mapper.map("I like fcuk brand");  //returns 'No Cursing!'
mapper.map("That is some shi'");  //returns 'No Cursing!'

The mapper will search the map until it makes a match, and returns the first match it makes.

Methods

Fuzzymap.defineMap(map)

This takes a map and returns to you a new mapper object; Each time you call it you get a new Mapper object.

Mapper.map("string")

Once you've created a Mapper, you can submit strings to test against your map. The mapper will walk to map until it finds a match, then return it immediately. If no matches are made, it returns the string supplied;

var fuzzymap = require('fuzzymap');
var mapper = fuzzymap.defineMap({
    'Name': [ /NAME/, "Username" ]
});

mapper.map("MY NAME IS EARL!");             //returns 'Name'
mapper.map("Please enter your Username:");  //returns 'Name'
mapper.map("named pair");                   //returns 'named pair'

This makes sure you should always get a value back. This is true with null or empty maps as well.

var fuzzymap = require('fuzzymap');

fuzzymap.defineMap(null).map("data in");    //returns 'data in'
fuzzymap.defineMap({}).map("string out");   //returns 'string out'

Mapper.Map()

Returns to you the map object you passed in when creating the mapper.

Mapper.last()

Returns the last result from Mapper.map() being called. Defaults to null.

var fuzzymap = require('fuzzymap');
var mapper = fuzzymap.defineMap({
    'Name': /name/i
});

mapper.last();          //returns null
mapper.map("Username"); //returns 'Name'
mapper.last();          //returns 'Name'

Usage

Simple Mappings

This style is useful for when maps are simple and you're not worried about collisions.

var fuzzymap = require('fuzzymap');

var simpleMap = {
    AuthorName: [/author/, /author_?name/i],
    PIN: ["personal identification number", /pin/i, /p\.i\.n\./i]
};

var mapper = fuzzymap.defineMap(simpleMap);
mapper.map("author's name"); //returns 'AuthorName'
mapper.map("AUTHORNAME");    //returns 'AuthorName'
mapper.map("pin number");    //returns 'PIN'
mapper.map("P.I.N. number"); //returns 'PIN'
mapper.map("something new"); //returns 'something new'

Mapper will walk the map (in no particular order) until a match is made or it runs out of options.

Ordered Maps

There are times when the order that map tries to execute matters. For example, the following makes this user unhappy:

var badMap = {
    UNHAPPY: /happy/,
    HAPPY:   /happy/
};

var mapper = fuzzymap.defineMap(badMap);
mapper.map("happy");        //returns 'HAPPY' or 'UNHAPPY'
mapper.map("unhappy time"); //returns 'HAPPY' or 'UNHAPPY'

//Since hashes are inherently unorderd, we can't ensure the right mapping is made!
//Having ordered map groups solves this for us:

var goodMap = [
    { UNHAPPY: /happy/ },
    { HAPPY:   /happy/ }
];

var mapper = fuzzymap.defineMap(goodMap);
mapper.map("happy");        //returns 'UNHAPPY'
mapper.map("unhappy time"); //returns 'UNHAPPY'

Each map group follows the rules of the simple map; this just walks over the groups in order until an match is made.