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With JavaScript RegExp find a character except newline?
To find a character except for a newline, use the dot metacharacter . (period). The dot matches any single character except the newline character (
Syntax
/./ // Matches any character except newline /.+/ // Matches one or more characters except newline /a.b/ // Matches 'a', any character, then 'b'
Example
<html>
<head>
<title>JavaScript Regular Expression</title>
</head>
<body>
<script>
var myStr = "We provide websites! We provide content!";
var reg = /p.o/g;
var match = myStr.match(reg);
document.write(match);
</script>
</body>
</html>
pro,pro
How It Works
The pattern /p.o/g matches:
-
p- literal character 'p' -
.- any single character except newline -
o- literal character 'o' -
g- global flag to find all matches
In the string "We provide websites! We provide content!", it finds "pro" from both "provide" instances.
Dot vs Newline Behavior
<html>
<head>
<title>Dot Metacharacter Test</title>
</head>
<body>
<script>
var text = "Line1\nLine2";
// Dot does NOT match newline
var dotMatch = text.match(/e./g);
document.write("Dot matches: " + dotMatch + "<br>");
// To match including newlines, use [\s\S]
var allMatch = text.match(/e[\s\S]/g);
document.write("Including newlines: " + allMatch);
</script>
</body>
</html>
Dot matches: e1 Including newlines: e1,e2
Common Use Cases
-
/a.b/- Match 'a', any character, then 'b' (matches "axb", "a5b", "a b") -
/\d.\d/- Match digit, any character, digit (matches "1.5", "3x7", "2 9") -
/.{3}/- Match any 3 characters in sequence
Conclusion
The dot metacharacter . matches any single character except newline. Use it for flexible pattern matching where you need to match "any character" in a specific position.
Updated on: 2026-03-15T23:18:59+05:30
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