const regex = /^(\S+)\s+/gim;
// Alternative syntax using RegExp constructor
// const regex = new RegExp('^(\\S+)\\s+', 'gim')
const str = `2014-05-09 12:28:06 Lab bench another
2014-06-10 01:28:31 Membrane test initiated
2014-05-11 12:38:04 Membrane test initiated
2014-05-13 14:38:06 Membrane test initiated
2014-05-13 12:38:17 Membrane capacitance
2014-05-14 16:38:17 Membrane resistance `;
const subst = `$1\t`;
// The substituted value will be contained in the result variable
const result = str.replace(regex, subst);
console.log('Substitution result: ', result);
Please keep in mind that these code samples are automatically generated and are not guaranteed to work. If you find any syntax errors, feel free to submit a bug report. For a full regex reference for JavaScript, please visit: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide/Regular_Expressions