Split string by multiple delimiters, keep them and ignore them in double quotes

Question

I know this question had been asked before in numerous variations but I can't seem to merge all the data to a working solution

Motivation

I have a JScript running under WSH. However, this is essentially a simple javascript | regexp question

I'm trying to parse a string. requirements:

1. Split it by multiple delimiters: -, =
2. Ignore delimiters wrapped in double quotes
3. Keep the delimiters in the result

Example

This is the string I've been working with. double quotes are part of the string

"C:\\Users\\u 1\\a-b\\f1.txt" -CONFIG="C:\\Users\\u 1\\c=d\\f2.xfg"-ARGS=/quite /v1

expected results after split

1. "C:\\Users\\u 1\\a-b\\f1.txt"
2. -
3. CONFIG
4. =
5. "C:\\Users\\u 1\\c=d\\f2.xfg"
6. -
7. ARGS
8. =
9. /quite /v1

Failed attempt

var str = '"C:\\Users\\u 1\\a-b\\f1.txt" -CONFIG="C:\\Users\\u 1\\c=d\\f2.xfg"-ARGS=/quite /v1';
var res = str .split(/-(?=(?:(?:[^"]*"){2})*[^"]*$)/);

Failed Result:

1. \"C:\\Users\\u 1\\a-b\\f1.txt
2. CONFIG=\"C:\\Users\\u 1\\c=d\\f2.xfg\"
3. ARGS=/quite /v1

Answer 1

It's a weird thing to need... but here goes...

var str = '"C:\\Users\\u 1\\a-b\\f1.txt" -CONFIG="C:\\Users\\u 1\\c=d\\f2.xfg"-ARGS=/quite /v1';
var res = [];
str.replace(/".*?"|-|=|[^-="\s]+(?:\s[^-="]+)?/g, function(m) { res.push(m); });
console.log(res);

split is tricky to use, as you need to define what you don't want; finding all matches is nicer (and in JavaScript, replace is the easiest way to do it - the other being the exec loop). I'm picking out:

• quoted strings
• dashes
• equals
• strings of characters that do not fit the above

The fourth group would be a bit easier if " " was a valid thing to pick out, but you need to work a bit extra hard to disqualify plain blank spaces...

That said, you have only one example, so it might well break with other, untested input.

EDIT: wording, and simplification of the regex

EDIT2: for @ndn, a version that handles \\n:

var str = '"C:\\Users\\u 1\\a-b\\f1.txt" -CONFIG="C:\\Users\\u\\"3\\"\\c=d\\f2.xfg"-ARGS=/quite /v1';
var res = [];
str.replace(/"(?:\\"|[^"])*"|-|=|[^-="\s]+(?:\s[^-="]+)?/g, function(m) { res.push(m); });
console.log(res);