remove escaped character

Question

I am working with a javascript function that returns a string of XML. However, within IE I get that string of XML back with escape characters embedded in it e.g. a double quote is a \” " Instead of " Is there an easy way to remove the escaped character sequence items?
Thanks, Derek

Solution 1

Before trying to fix this, you should investigate which other characters are being replaced. For example, when you get a single \ in other browsers do you get \\ in IE?

If the standard C escapes are added, then JSON.parse will convert sequences like \" into ", \\ into \, \n into a line-feed, etc.

'foo\\bar\nbaz"' === JSON.parse('"foo\\\\bar\\nbaz\\""')

---

JSON.parse is supported natively on most recent browsers, and on IE specifically, back to IE 8. The relevant MSDN page says

Supported in the following document modes: Internet Explorer 8 standards, Internet Explorer 9 standards, Internet Explorer 10 standards. Also supported in Windows Store apps. See Version Information.

Not supported in the following document modes: Quirks, Internet Explorer 6 standards, Internet Explorer 7 standards.

Solution 2

A similar question: Javascript - Replacing the escape character in a string literal explains how to replace a escape character. Maybe you could replace the escape character with empty quotes?

Comments

[geo derek]

Hello, other characters that are being replace are tabs to \t and line breaks to \n. And this is only happening in IE actually not Chrome or Firefox. I would like to try and use JSON.parse. Do I need to include a specific library to use it?

[geo derek]

I like this approach as it direct. However, it doesn't seem to work in IE version 9 at least. Open your jsFiddle in IE and see if you get the same issue as me.

[Mike Samuel]

@geoderek, Whether you need a specific library depends on the version of IE. MSDN's JSON page says JSON.parse is "Supported in the following document modes: Internet Explorer 8 standards, Internet Explorer 9 standards, Internet Explorer 10 standards." If you have the same trouble on IE 6 or IE 7 then github.com/douglascrockford/JSON-js or one of the other parsers from JSON.org should work.

[geo derek]

Ok I am trying it now. line of code is JSON.parse(strInfo) which returns the error: Invalid Character. The variable strInfo is the string of XML which contains the escaped characters. I am guessing that I am not using JSON.parse correctly.

[Jan Sommer]

Seems like there can only be one document.write when using jsfiddle in ie... Fixed here: jsfiddle.net/GSUES

[Mike Samuel]

@geoderek, Do you have double quotes around the string you are trying to decode?

[geo derek]

Hi Mike, as it turns out the IE debugger was placing these escape characters in the string only in the debug window. When I alerted the value it didn't contain them. Thanks for you help. For now I am on to a new problem which is dealing with JQuery and IE 9 nuances. Cheers, D