remove js or json comments

removeComments.js

/**
 * Removes JavaScript comments from a string by replacing
 * everything between block comments and everything after
 * single-line comments in a non-greedy way.
 *
 * English version of the regex:
 *   match '/*'
 *   then match zero or more instances of any character (incl. \n)
 *   except for instances of '* /' (without a space, obv.)
 *   then match '* /' (again, without a space)
 *
 * @param {string} str a string with potential JavaScript comments.
 * @returns {string} a string without JavaScript comments.
 */
function removeComments(str) {
  str = str || "";

  str = str.replace(/\/\*(?:(?!\*\/)[\s\S])*\*\//g, "");
  // Everything after '//'
  str = str.replace(/\/\/[^\n\r]*/g, ""); 

  return str;
}