Converting long list of abbreviations

[ocon]

I have a standard mailing address variable, that could be equal to such strings as:

"565 N Clinton Dr"
"740 Evergreen Ter"
"31 Spooner St"

I'd like to expand these addresses using JavaScript and a list of standard mailing abbreviations (http://www.gis.co.clay.mn.us/usps.htm) into something more readable.

"565 North Clinton Drive"
"740 Evergreen Terrace"
"31 Spooner Street"

I'm trying to figure out how I can efficiently convert these variables without using a long replace string:

address.replace("N","North").replace("Dr","Drive").replace("Ter","Terrace").reaplce("St","Street")...;

And without messing up the string:

"123 Nancy St" => "123 Northancy Street"
"456 Terracotta Drive" => "456 Terraceracotta Driveive"

[rainborick]

Use .split to split the string into words and then do your replacements on the individual words. When you've processed all of the individual words, use .join to reconstruct the string.

[daveVk]

Yes, and only apply change to word in correct position
eg
3 St Mary St => 3 St Mary Street

[ocon]

Thank you for the replies. Dave, thankfully these mailing addresses only use official mailing abbreviations so I don't have to worry about that.

So would I use the following setup?

var address = "789 N Silicon Aly";
var abbreviations={"Aly":"Alley","Anx":"Annex","Arc":"Arcade","Ave":"Avenue","Byu":"Bayoo","Bch":"Beach",...}

address = address.split(" ");

for(var i = 0; i < address.length; i++){
 for(var val in abbreviations) address[i] = address[i].split(val).join(abbreviations[val]);}

address = address.join(" ");

[daveVk]

instead of

for(var val in abbreviations) address[ i ] = address[ i ].split(val).join(abbreviations[val]);}

try

if (abbreviations[address[ i ]] !== undefined ) // have abbrev
{ address[ i ] = abbreviations[address[ i ]]; } // use it

is "3 Arc Ave" valid ?