*Help* How to change multiple unknown text string with just one?

Chuny_OK

@guy038 Hello my friend, I have another one for you!
Now, I’m not sure if this is possible at all but, let’s try.

I have several blocks within an XML file
They are a little something like this

Like I said, there are many blocks like that in different places of the same XML but with different values, different properties, etc.
But they are all within the <Instance> </Instance> tags.

I’d like to replace all of them, not matter the content inside those tags with only one <Instance> </Instance> of my own.
Obviously, doing that one by one would take about two hours since there are probably between 70 and 100 I’d need to change. So is there any way to do what I’m after?.

Thank you very much in advance.

astrosofista

Hi @Chuny_OK

-Try this:

Open the Replace dialog (Ctrl + H) and type in:

Search: (?s)(<Instance>).*?(</Instance>)
Replace: $1HELLO$2

Replace "HELLO" with your string.
Check the Wrap around option
Select the Regular expression search mode
Click on the Replace All button

Chuny_OK

@astrosofista said in *Help* How to change multiple unknown text string with just one?:

(?s)(<Instance>).*?(</Instance>)

Thank you! It worked like a charm!
Thank you for your quick reply too!

astrosofista

@Chuny_OK

You’re welcome. If you want to get involved in regex, let me suggest you to take a look at this page:

https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/searching/#regular-expressions

Have fun!

George Fisher

Instead of starting a new thread I searched and found this one which appears to address my problem.

I have several files that contain this line, price: 12000 where the number varies in every file… I tried with the (*) filter to change that to price: 1000 in all of the files at once but the program wouldn’t cooperate. I’m not a coder so some of the above examples are confusing to me. Can someone suggest what to enter in the replace with: line?
Thanks. ;)

guy038

Hi @george-fisher and All,

Easy with regular expressions !

Open the Find in Files dialog ( Ctrl + Shift + F )
SEARCH (?-i)price:\x20\d+
REPLACE price:\x201000
Fill in the Filters: and Directory: fields, as desired
Select the Regular expression search mode
Click on the Replace in Files button
Click on the OK button of the confirmation dialog

Voila ;-))

Notes :

First, the (?-i) ensures that the search process is performed in a non-insensitive way
Then, the part price: looks for this literal string, with this exact case
Now, \x20 is the hexadecimal syntax of a space character
Finally the \d+ syntax represents any non-null consecutive range of digits, so any decimal number

Best Regards,

guy038

Chuny_OK

Hello again!

I need some more help.
I have several lines within an XML file that have something like this:

In which only the numerical value that’s within the <value>X</value> is different in each line along different parts of the same XML File.
I would like to change all those different values with the same one, just one.

Could any of you kind human beings help me?.

Thank you!

astrosofista

Hi @Chuny_OK

-Try the following:

Open the Replace dialog (Ctrl + H) and type in:

Search: (?-s)(?<=<value>)(\d)+(?=</value>)
Replace: 000

Replace 000 with your replacing number.
Check the Wrap around option
Select the Regular expression search mode
Click on the Replace All button

Have fun!

Chuny_OK

@astrosofista

Thank you!
Although, there are many other strings with
<value>X</value> but with different properties.

Like:
<property name=“dateTimeHour” type=“uint32” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
<value>12</value>
<property name=“dateTimeMinute” type=“uint32” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
<value>12</value>
<property name=“overrideAtmosphere” type=“bool” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
<value>true</value>

I only need to change those with DateTimeHour.
If I do what you suggested, every number in-between the <value> </value> tags will get changed!

Terry R

@Chuny_OK said in *Help* How to change multiple unknown text string with just one?:

I only need to change those with DateTimeHour

How about using the following regex in place of the current one:
Search:(?-s).+?dateTimeHour.+\R<value>\K(\d)+(?=</value>)

So it finds the line with dateTimeHour, then progresses to the NEXT line, finds the number and what ever you type into the Replace field is what is inserted.

As this uses the \K regex command you must use the “Replace All” button. So if you need to cyle through the changes one at a time using the singular “Replace” button please come back with that request and another regex could be made to suit.

Terry

Chuny_OK

@Terry-R

That worked like a charm, Terry!
Thanks a lot!

Chuny_OK

@Terry-R

Hello Terry
Unfortunately, after further analysis, somehow when I use that expression, the file gets messed up after some of those lines I mentioned above.

What I was doing is, replacing all those different dateTimeHour values, with the number 17.

In one particular line, (it’s like after the 8th modification), I get this:

<property name=“dateTimeHour” type=“uint32” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
<value>1717
And then the file ends.

But originally, the file continued with several other strings.
In the original file, that line was like this:

And, like I said, there were plenty other lines after that. The document was huge.
But after using your command, I get what I described above and then the file ends.

I tried placing it with other values, like 0. But no matter which value I enter, that value gets duplicated
For example>
<property name=“dateTimeHour” type=“uint32” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
<value>00

…And then, the file ends.

Very strange.

Terry R

@Chuny_OK said in *Help* How to change multiple unknown text string with just one?:

And then the file ends.

I presume you mean the file gets truncated? In large files with some types of look-aheads there can be instances of this occuring, but I wouldn’t have thought this in your case.
Try this alternative regex.
Find What:(?-s)(.+?dateTimeHour.+\R<value>)\d+
Replace With:\1xx

Where xx is the number you wish to use, it can be any length i.e. 1, 3765 etc. In this case as we are capturing the previous line and a bit of the current line (so we only get the datetimehour values you want to change) we need to write it back, hence the \1 in front of the number you want to insert.

Terry

Chuny_OK

@Terry-R
Hello Terry
Doesn’t quite work.

If I do that, the whole document gets replaced by the number I entered :(

The strange thing is that when I first started this thread, the help I was getting was always working! And the files are still XML, the structure is quite similar, although the properties are different. So I don’t get why neither the first tips I was provided nor the new ones are working.

Chuny_OK

@Chuny_OK

For instance, there’s another thing I’d like to change:

This line appear multiple times along this large document, but with different values along the way.
If I wanted to replace al those different values with just one (like -10 for example), I can’t do that.

Terry R

@Chuny_OK said in *Help* How to change multiple unknown text string with just one?:

the whole document gets replaced by the number I entered :(

My regex works by capturing part of 1 line, then the first part of the next line. If the “whole” document is being replaced it suggests you don’t have many or most likely ANY CRLF (carriage return line feeds in it.

When the file is loaded in Notepad++ by default the left side shows line numbers. Can you determine if it only contains 1 or a small number of lines? If so then I would need to do some more testing, but my initially reaction would be to change that regex to:
Find What:(?-s)(.+?dateTimeHour.+\R?<value>)\d+
This will not force a CRLF between the 2 lines, but if it exists then it will include it.

Terry

Terry R

Actually thinking further another amendment is needed so try
Find What:(?-s)(.+?dateTimeHour.+?\R?<value>)\d+
The .+? minimally tries to capture up to a possible CRLF sequence, and just beyond to the first (hopefully) sequence of the <value> tag.

Terry

Chuny_OK

@Terry-R said in *Help* How to change multiple unknown text string with just one?:

(?-s)(.+?dateTimeHour.+?\R?<value>)\d+

Look mate,
I uploaded the file here: https://www83.zippyshare.com/v/rHBggLMf/file.html

Please look for lines like:

**<property name=“dateTimeHour” type=“uint32” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>

And/Or

**<property name=“gameMinExposure” type=“float” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>

Where the numbers between the <value> </value> tags can be different everytime you search for them.

And see if it works for you.

Thank you again.

Terry R

@Chuny_OK said in *Help* How to change multiple unknown text string with just one?:

And see if it works for you

Sadly my last regex was still not working. Getting to see the actual lines in the file has helped, having “indented” lines didn’t help.
So my latest version is
Find What:(?s-i)(gameMinExposure.+?)-*\d+(</value>)
Replace With:($1)123($2)

You would change the “gameMinExposure” to the correct tag name, such as the other one you were looking for “dateTimeHour”. Note I have added the -i to the modifier at the start of the line, the search string is case sensitive. So for example if your file had “Datetimehour” and this regex is looking for “dateTimeHour”, with the -i modifier it will NOT find it, this is by design. Remove the -i if you don’t care, then you can type the string in any format “DaTeTiMeHoUr” for example and it will find “datetimehour”, “DATETIMEHOUR” or any other combinations.

I also noted that the number to be replaced was sometimes negative. So my latest regex has to look for that possibility as well. If found, then it will be removed when writing the number back. So you type into the Replace With field the number you want (including a - at the front if desired) replacing the 123 there.

Terry

Chuny_OK

@Terry-R

That’s amazing, Terry!
I will give it a try right now!

Thank you very much for all the help and quickness!