<html>
<body>
<script>
var str="Every man in the world! Every woman on earth!";
var patt=/man/g;
var str2=str.replace(patt,"person");
document.write(str2+"<br>");
patt=/(wo)?man/g;
patt.compile(patt);
str2=str.replace(patt,"person");
document.write(str2);
</script>
</body>
</html>