Multiple word search and replace within a range start with xxx and end with yyy

Wagner Leung

I have already read from this and know that I can do Multiple word search and replace within a file by
Install Python Script plugin from Plugin Manager.
Create a file with your substitutions (e.g., C:/Temp/Substitutions.txt), separate values with space:

good bad
great worse
fine not

Create a new script:

with open('C:/Temp/Substitutions.txt') as f:
    for l in f:
        s = l.split()
        editor.replace(s[0], s[1])
Run the new script against the text you want to substitute.

However, there are multiple objects in the file, and I just want to change the string within certain objects for example:

object={
...
type=1
b={
abc= 123
def = 456
ghi=789
}
}

object={
...
type=2
b={
abc= 987
bbb = 654
ccc=321
}
}

object={
...
type=3
b={
abc= 000
fed = 001
ihg=002
}
}

object={
...
type=2
b={
abc= 987
bbb = 654
ccc=321
}
}

I just want to change every “abc” from every type 2 object.
Is it possible to write a script that the program would start replacing at " type=2" and end at “}” for the whole file?

guy038

Hello, @wagner-leung and All,

I can’t give you advices about a Python script solution but this regex S/R seems to work nice :

SEARCH (?s)object((?!object).)+?type=2(.+?)abc=\x20\K987

or

SEARCH (?s)object((?!object).)+?type=2(.+?)abc=\x20\K\d+ if you’re looking for any integer value fore abc
REPLACE Your Integer !
Tick the Wrap around option
Select the Regular expression search mode
Click on the Replace All button

Best Regards,

guy038

Wagner Leung

abc is string

@guy038 said in Multiple word search and replace within a range start with xxx and end with yyy:

REPLACE Your Integer !

Alan Kilborn

@Wagner-Leung

So it is a very common problem here that people don’t provide BEFORE and AFTER data examples.

@guy038 assumed that you were interested in the number after abc= when it appears (I think) that you are more interested in the abc itself.

guy038

Hi, @wagner-leung and All,

Ah OK ! So the variable abc contains the string 123. However my reasoning remains identical :

I supposed that you want to change the string 987 of the variable abc, when inside an object block, containing the line Type = 2, by any personal string, inserted in the Replace zone !

A better regex, which catches any value of the variable abc, would be :

SEARCH (?s)object((?!object).)+?type=2.+?abc=\x20\K.+?$

May be, the best would be to show us a piece of your initial text and your final expected text ! to verify if we’re speaking about the same thing :-)

See you later !

BR

guy038

Wagner Leung

@guy038
I want to change the variable abc but not the string.
As this is another coding language string integer does not make any difference.

Here is the intended result

object={
...
type=1
b={
abc= 123
def = 456
ghi=789
}
}

object={
...
type=2
b={
**aaa**= 987
bbb = 654
ccc=321
}
}

object={
...
type=3
b={
abc= 000
fed = 001
ihg=002
}
}

object={
...
type=2
b={
**aaa**= 987
bbb = 654
ccc=321
}
}

guy038

Hi, @wagner-leung, @alan-kilborn and All,

My bad ! So, if I interpret your intended result, strictly, the regex S/R becomes :

SEARCH (?s)object((?!object).)+?type=2((?!object).)+?\K\babc(?=\h*=)

REPLACE **aaa**

Hope this version is the good one ! Of course, you may change the line type=2 and/or the variable abc as you like !

Cheers,

guy038

P.S. :

An other formulation of the search regex, using the free-spacing mode (?x) , would be :

SEARCH (?xs) object ((?!object).)+? type=2 ((?!object).)+? \K\b abc (?=\h*=)

For instance, the following search regex would search for the variable abc, in any object block containing, either, the line type=2 or type=3

SEARCH (?xs) object ((?!object).)+? type=[23] ((?!object).)+? \K\b abc (?=\h*=)