Extract phone numbers from a block of text
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Problem Statement
Alia is a web developer working on a project that involves extracting phone numbers from blocks of text. She needs a robust and efficient solution to scrape phone numbers that can handle various formats, including international and local numbers with different separators and optional extensions.
Objective:
Write a JavaScript function that extracts all phone numbers from a given block of text. The function should handle multiple formats, such as:
Local numbers with or without area codes
International numbers with optional country codes
Numbers separated by spaces, dashes, dots, or parentheses
Optional extensions (e.g., "ext. 101" or "x101")
The function should return an array of phone numbers found in the text, with any leading or trailing whitespace removed.
Example 1
Input: text = " You can reach us at (555) 123-4567, or at 555.987.6543. For international inquiries, call +1 555 555 5555. Fax numbers are not accepted at 555-5555 or 5555555."
Output: ["(555) 123-4567", "555.987.6543", "+1 555 555 5555", "555-5555", "5555555"]
Example 2
Input: text = "Contact us at (123) 456-7890, 123-456-7890, or +1 123 456 7890. You can also reach us at 123.456.7890 or 1234567890."
Output: [ "(123) 456-7890", "123-456-7890", "+1 123 456 7890", "123.456.7890", "1234567890"]
Solution 1: Extract Phone Numbers Regex
function extractPhoneNumbers(text) {
// Define the regex pattern to match various phone number formats
const phoneRegex = /(?:\+?\d{1,4}\s*)?[\-\.\(\s]*\d{1,5}[\-\.\)\s]*\d{1,4}[\-\.\s]*\d{1,4}[\-\.\s]*\d{1,9}/g;
// Find all matches in the text
const matches = text.match(phoneRegex);
// Return matches, or an empty array if no matches are found
return matches ? matches.map(num => num.trim()) : [];
}
const text1 = " You can reach us at (555) 123-4567, or at 555.987.6543.
For international inquiries, call +1 555 555 5555.
Fax numbers are not accepted at 555-5555 or 5555555.";
extractPhoneNumbers(text1); //output: ["(555) 123-4567", "555.987.6543", "+1 555 555 5555", "555-5555", "5555555"]
const text2 = "Contact us at (123) 456-7890, 123-456-7890, or +1 123 456 7890.
You can also reach us at 123.456.7890 or 1234567890.";
extractPhoneNumbers(text2); //output: [ "(123) 456-7890", "123-456-7890", "+1 123 456 7890", "123.456.7890", "1234567890"]
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of the extractPhoneNumbers function?
The
extractPhoneNumbersfunction extracts phone numbers from a given block of text based on a regex pattern. It identifies and returns all phone numbers in the text, removing any extraneous whitespace.Why is num.trim() used in the function?
num.trim()is used to remove any leading or trailing whitespace from each extracted phone number to ensure the output is clean and consistent.Can the regex pattern handle all possible phone number formats?
While the regex pattern handles many common phone number formats, it may not cover every possible format or edge case. Adjustments may be needed based on specific requirements or additional formats.