rspec/rules/S5361/java/rule.adoc

== Why is this an issue?

The underlying implementation of ``++String::replaceAll++`` calls the ``++java.util.regex.Pattern.compile()++`` method each time it is called even if the first argument is not a regular expression. This has a significant performance cost and therefore should be used with care.


When ``++String::replaceAll++`` is used, the first argument should be a real regular expression. If it's not the case, ``++String::replace++`` does exactly the same thing as ``++String::replaceAll++`` without the performance drawback of the regex.


This rule raises an issue for each ``++String::replaceAll++`` used with a ``++String++`` as first parameter which doesn't contains special regex character or pattern.


=== Noncompliant code example

[source,java]
----
String init = "Bob is a Bird... Bob is a Plane... Bob is Superman!";
String changed = init.replaceAll("Bob is", "It's"); // Noncompliant
changed = changed.replaceAll("\\.\\.\\.", ";"); // Noncompliant
----


=== Compliant solution

[source,java]
----
String init = "Bob is a Bird... Bob is a Plane... Bob is Superman!";
String changed = init.replace("Bob is", "It's");
changed = changed.replace("...", ";");
----
Or, with a regex:

[source,java]
----
String init = "Bob is a Bird... Bob is a Plane... Bob is Superman!";
String changed = init.replaceAll("\\w*\\sis", "It's");
changed = changed.replaceAll("\\.{3}", ";");
----


== Resources

* S4248 - Regex patterns should not be created needlessly


ifdef::env-github,rspecator-view[]

'''
== Implementation Specification
(visible only on this page)

=== Message

Replace this call to "replaceAll" by a call to the "replace" method


=== Highlighting

the method name


endif::env-github,rspecator-view[]