How to extract extension from filename string in Javascript? [duplicate]

A variant that works with all of the following inputs:

  • "file.name.with.dots.txt"
  • "file.txt"
  • "file"
  • ""
  • null
  • undefined

would be:

var re = /(?:\.([^.]+))?$/;

var ext = re.exec("file.name.with.dots.txt")[1];   // "txt"
var ext = re.exec("file.txt")[1];                  // "txt"
var ext = re.exec("file")[1];                      // undefined
var ext = re.exec("")[1];                          // undefined
var ext = re.exec(null)[1];                        // undefined
var ext = re.exec(undefined)[1];                   // undefined

Explanation

(?:         # begin non-capturing group
  \.        #   a dot
  (         #   begin capturing group (captures the actual extension)
    [^.]+   #     anything except a dot, multiple times
  )         #   end capturing group
)?          # end non-capturing group, make it optional
$           # anchor to the end of the string

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