Text To Range

Parse text range descriptions into objects with numerical ranges. It can handle many different formats of ranges and provides the results as a structured object.

Examples:

import { rangeToEquation, rangeToInterval, textToRange } from 'text-to-range';

const example1 = textToRange('<10 >7'));
console.log(example1);

// { minInclusive: false, min: 7, max: 10, maxInclusive: false }

console.log(rangeToEquation(example1));

// <7 >10

const example2 = textToRange('2 <= x <= 100');
console.log(example2);

// { minInclusive: true, min: 2, max: 100, maxInclusive: true }

console.log(rangeToInterval(example2));

// [2,100]

const example3 = textToRange('1, 4.5 to 8, [12,14), 19-22.18');
console.log(example3);

// {
//   or: [
//     { minInclusive: true, min: 1, max: 1, maxInclusive: true },
//     { minInclusive: true, min: 4.5, max: 8, maxInclusive: true },
//     { minInclusive: true, min: 12, max: 14, maxInclusive: false },
//     { minInclusive: true, min: 19, max: 22.18, maxInclusive: true }
//   ]
// }

console.log(rangeToEquation(example3));

// 1, >=4.5 <=8, >=12 <14, >=19 <=22.18

console.log(rangeToInterval(example3));

// 1, [4.5,8], [12,14), [19,22.18]

Using the Library

This is a typical npm library. Run npm install text-to-range and then include it in your project.

import { rangeToEquation, rangeToInterval, textToRange } from 'text-to-range';

From there, it's a matter of calling textToRange to create a range object or use another exported function to convert the range to a string.

This module could run in a browser. It has no dependencies. I'd recommend making sure you bundle it using Webpack or a similar tool. Also, it relies heavily on regular expressions, so the browser's really needs to support them. There are several sample in the tests that you could use in a browser to ensure that the functionality is operating as expected.

Object Format

Ranges will either be simple ranges or joined ranges. Simple ranges have the minimum, maximum, and flags indicating if the minimum/maximum should be included. If you parse >4, minInclusive will be false, but if you parse >=4 then it will be set to true.

// Simple range
{
    minInclusive: boolean;
    min: number | Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY;
    max: number | Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
    maxInclusive: boolean;
}

The joined ranges have a single or property, which is an array of simple ranges. While technically there could be any number of array elements, the practical minimum from the parser is 2.

// Joined range
{
    or: SimpleRange[];
}

Range Specifications

This is a pretty flexible library and it supports a wide range of range specifications.

• Single numbers, which are handled as both a minimum and a maximum: 54
• Decimal numbers are allowed by themselves or at any other time: 28.9276
• Negative numbers always work too: -2.3
• Ranges using "to": 3 to 11
• Ranges using ".." like bash syntax: 7..14
• Ranges using hyphens (negatives work too): 5-8, -4--1
• Ranges using other symbols: 3:12, 14~18
• Ranges with infinity: -infinity to 1, 2 to INF
• Alternate infinity syntax: *-0, 1-$
• Comparisons: >10 <=20
• Equalities: =18, ==19
• Equation ranges: 1 <= x <= 100
• Closed intervals, which include the endpoints: [1,2]
• Open intervals, which do not include endpoints: (1,2) <3,4> {5,6} ]7,8[
• Open intervals with mixed up markers: (1,2> <3,4}, {5,7[, ]7,8)
• Mixed open/close intervals using any delimiters: (1,2] [3,4)

Reversed ranges are also supported, so one can use 9 to 5 and get [5,9]. If there is a problem parsing the ranges or no ranges are found, null is returned. If the range is conflicting as with >1 <1 then null is returned. When an octal number is presented, such a 012, then null is returned.

Joining ranges can use several different delimiters. Any of the above ranges can be joined, so formats like 1 to 5, [6,9] is perfectly acceptable.

• Spaces
• Some punctuation: , ;
• Text: and or
• Symbols that represent "and" or "or": + | || & &&

Converting To A String

Once a range is parsed, the conversion back to a standard string is fairly straightforward. Use the methods rangeToEquation() or rangeToInterval to get a format you prefer.

import { rangeToEquation, rangeToInterval, textToRange } from 'text-to-range';
const example4 = textToRange('1, 2.2 to 3.3, (4, 5)');
console.log(example4);

// {
//   or: [
//     { minInclusive: true, min: 1, max: 1, maxInclusive: true },
//     { minInclusive: true, min: 2.2, max: 3.3, maxInclusive: true },
//     { minInclusive: false, min: 4, max: 5, maxInclusive: false }
//   ]
// }

console.log(rangeToEquation(example4));

// 1, >=2.2 <=3.3, >4 <5

console.log(rangeToInterval(example4));

// 1, [2.2,3.3], (4,5)