Find line before specific text

[Elise Baribault]

Hi

I need the line number (or the text on that line) two rows above a certain word. I have a file with hundreds of thousands of lines, and I don’t want to go through it by hand.

Example:
EL: 3483

EL: 3484 (<- this is the line/value I want)

8

ABNORMAL PROGRAM STOP

EL; 3484

EL: 3485

EL: 3486 (<- this is the line/value I want)

8

ABNORMAL PROGRAM STOP

When I Ctl+F the data, it shows me the row where “Abnormal program stop” is, over 7,000 occurrences. But I am looking for the text two rows above this message.

I need the number specifically associated with this error message. There are other lines “EL: 3484” that do not have the error message after, so I can’t search just for the text “EL: 3484”.

[guy038]

Hello, @elise-baribault and All,

Not difficult with regular expressions !

• Open the Mark dialog ( Ctrl+ M )

  • SEARCH (?-si)^EL[:;]\x20\K\d+(?=\R.+\RABNORMAL PROGRAM STOP$)

  • Tick the three options Bookmark line, Purge for each search and Wrap around

  • Un-tick all other box options

  • Select the Regular expression search mode

  • Click on the Mark All button

  • Click on the Copy Marked Text button

  • Open a new tab ( Ctrl + N )

  • Paste the clipboard contents ( Ctrl + V )

Et voilà !

After clicking on the Mark All button you may, either :

• Right-click into the bookmark margin and choose the Copy bookmarked Lines option

• Use the menu option Search > Bookmark > Copy Bookmarked Lines

Best Regards

guy038