Introduction

Detecting and filtering bad words in applications is crucial for maintaining a safe and respectful environment. In this blog post, we introduce various APIs to handle bad word detection and filtering in JavaScript. We’ll go through dozens of useful API examples with code snippets to help you understand how to use these APIs effectively.

Bad Words Library

The bad-words library is a popular solution for detecting and filtering offensive language in strings. Below are some examples of how to use this library.

Installation

  
  npm install bad-words
  

Basic Usage

  
  const Filter = require('bad-words');
  const filter = new Filter();
  
  const cleanString = filter.clean('This is a damn bad word!');
  console.log(cleanString); // This is a **** bad word!
  

Adding Custom Bad Words

  
  const filter = new Filter();
  filter.addWords('badword1', 'badword2');
  
  const text = 'This is a badword1';
  console.log(filter.clean(text)); // This is a *****
  

Removing words from the filter

  
  const filter = new Filter();
  filter.removeWords('hells', 'sadist');
  
  const text = 'This is hells';
  console.log(filter.clean(text)); // This is hells
  

Profanity Filter

The profanity-filter library is another robust solution for filtering bad language. Here are some examples:

Installation

  
  npm install profanity-filter
  

Basic Usage

  
  const Profanity = require('profanity-js');
  const profanity = new Profanity();
  
  const cleanText = profanity.clean('This is a damn bad word');
  console.log(cleanText); // This is a **** bad word
  

Checking for Profanity

  
  const profanity = new Profanity();
  
  const hasProfanity = profanity.isProfane('You are a bad person');
  console.log(hasProfanity); // true or false based on the string
  

Application Example

Now, let’s create a simple chat application that filters out bad words using the bad-words library.

Setting up the Project

  
  mkdir chat-filter-app
  cd chat-filter-app
  npm init -y
  npm install express bad-words
  

Creating the Server

  
  const express = require('express');
  const Filter = require('bad-words');
  
  const app = express();
  const port = 3000;
  const filter = new Filter();
  
  app.use(express.json());
  
  app.post('/send-message', (req, res) => {
    const message = req.body.message;
    const cleanMessage = filter.clean(message);
    res.send({ cleanMessage });
  });

  app.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`Server is running on http://localhost:${port}`);
  });
  

Testing the Application

Use the following curl command to test the application:

  
  curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/send-message -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"message": "This is some damn example text!"}'
  

The server will respond with the filtered text.

Conclusion

Implementing bad words filtering in your application can significantly improve user experience and maintain a respectful environment. Both bad-words and profanity-filter libraries offer robust solutions for detecting and filtering offensive language. By following the examples provided, you can easily integrate these libraries into your project.

Hash: b54f5671aa01d1c2714770c4138eaa4dc1af9020f7015af94e0fe34ba4e7ebea