Javascript make dynamic links but ignore existing links -

im using dynamically make links in webpage:

var linkword = function(obj){   for(i in obj){       var x = document.body.innerhtml;         var linkstart = '<a href="'+obj[i]+'">';     var linkend = '</a>';     var reg = new regexp("\\b(" + + ")\\b","ig");      x = x.replace(reg, linkstart + + linkend);     document.body.innerhtml = x;    }   console.log(obj); }  linkword({   'the':'http://www.example.com',   'vokalia':'http://icant.co.uk',   'brent':'http://google.com',  }); 

this creates links in page matches keyword, overwrites existing hrefs if matches. how can improve ignore existing links?

no jquery please.

https://jsfiddle.net/o43lxmtr/

you can fix appending negated sets reg expression in order discard words prefixed > , suffixed <.

edit: better approach might build negative lookahead in order disallow text contained inside tags.

edit again: better if negative lookahead works anchor tags:

var linkword = function(obj){   for(i in obj){       var x = document.body.innerhtml;         var linkstart = '<a href="'+obj[i]+'">';     var linkend = '</a>';     var reg = new regexp("\\b(" + + ")\\b(?![^<]*>|[^<>]*<\/[a])","ig");      x = x.replace(reg, " " + linkstart + + linkend + " ");     document.body.innerhtml = x;     console.log(document.body.innerhtml);   }   console.log(obj); }  linkword({   'the':'http://www.example.com',   'vokalia':'http://icant.co.uk',   'behind':'http://google.com',  }); 

note spaces added before , after replaced string since regex strip them.

edit: working demo here.

edit2: working demo second solution here.

edit3: working demo third solution here.