replace and Search vs. just replace

[Regina Gramm]

Is it a great problem, to give the choice to the user, wether he want to replace something and seach the next point or just replace (and then can see and check the result).

I often make RegEx Replacements, but sometimes I make mistakes. Now I have to use an exta File, if I want to check the result. So I often use Sigil for experiments.

[Claudia Frank]

Hi Regina,

don’t know if I understand you correctly but isn’t this
already possible using the replace dialog?

As long as you click on replace the found word will be replaced
and next occurance will be searched and you can decide
if you want to replace or find another instance again.
In addition you can always press undo during replacing.

I guess I misunderstood something here, did I ?

Cheers
Claudia

[Regina Gramm]

Hi Claudia,
Thanks for asking. - You give a very good describtion of the replace Button. My Problem is - Sometimes I want to see! what the replace has done. So I need a “replace only” - Button. Now the Button makes more than the name sais. The most time it is Ok. But Sometimes… You undersood?

Greetings Regina

[Claudia Frank]

Hi Regina,

not 100% sure but if I understand correctly you would have something like
an additional textbox/window which shows what the last replace really did!?
E.g. You want to change every word monday to MONDAY and the dialog should
provide addition information like
before: monday
after: MONDAY

Correct?

If so, then it isn’ t that easy to solve. While you still have the old state in
the UNDO buffer showing the result in the dialog would mean you need
an additional scintilla component within the dialog box and the resulting
text could be really big, especially when using regular expressions.
Nevertheless, a nice idea and maybe someone else (DonHo?) finds
way how this can be a future feature.

Cheers
Claudia

[Regina Gramm]

Hi Claudia,
That’s to much. :)
SometimesI want a “just replace” without hopping to the next place. I want to see the result of change at the place I am standing.

the normal operation is : I find a bug and create a RegEx . I try “find” whether my expression finds the error. And then I want to see “what does the replacement at the site”. Sometimes I want a replacement without jumping to the next place.
If you want to see, what I mean: In Sigil a free Ebook program you have three buttons: Find, Replace & Find, and Replace.

[Claudia Frank]

Hi Regina,

after installing Sigil I (hopefully) finally understand what you want.
When you replace the found text you want to stay on the current position
of the replaced text instead of jumping to the next occurance, correct?

If so, yes, this needs to be addressed as feature request.
I don’t see another way to solve this usefully.

Do you know that there is a RegEx Helper plugin?
Maybe this can support you to test your regular expressions before executing it.

Cheers
Claudia

[Cees Timmerman]

@Regina-Gramm To see what a regex has affected, press Undo, then Redo (or Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y). The cursor will stay at the last change.

[Regina Gramm]

Hi Claudia,

I think, you’re right, that this is a feature request. I will do that.
And
Thx for the hint with the RegEx Helper! I did not know that.

@Cees Yes, that works. Why it didn’t come to my mind - ? :-) Thx!

Cheers