How to batch out lines of code with same code but different variables?

Shadowfire Omega

I’m working on macros for a maptool campaign and one thing that keeps getting me is that I have to make multiple(40+) lines of the same code with only minor changes in the variables, while the rest of the code stays the same. Is there a way to insert a list of variables and have notepad++ substitute the second variable for all of the occurrences of the first variable in the second line, then the third for the third line etc…
Example:
Line 1:"aAppraise|0|Appraise “+Appraise+”/“eval(+mAppraise+)” “+cAppraise+”,
Line 2:"aBluff|0|Bluff “+Bluff+”/“eval(+mBluff+)” “+cBluff+”,
Line 3: (replace all instances of Bluff with Concentration)

I know I can go line by line with find and replace, but this is pretty tedious as well.

guy038

Hello, @shadowfire-omega and All,

Again, with a S/R using regular expressions, there’s a solution ;-))

Organize all the names of the variables as a list, one per line, beginning with a separator character, not already used in your text ( For instance, the #, the = or the @ symbol )
- Choosing the equal sign as a separator, here is, below, a sample list of 8 names :

=Appraise
=Bluff
=Concentration
=Test
=Shadowfire
=Omega
=OK
=The End

Then, using the column mode ( or rectangular selection ), copy the selection of names in the clipboard
Now, recopy, with the Ctrl + D command, the first line which is to be changed, as many times, than the number of lines of the previous list ( 8 ), as a template, giving :

"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"

Then, placing the cursor at the end of the first line, simply, paste the rectangular selection. You should obtain the following list :

"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Appraise
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Bluff
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Concentration
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Test
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Shadowfire
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Omega
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=OK
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=The End

Finally, open the Replace panel ( Ctrl + H )
Select the Regular expression search mode
In the Find what: and Replace with: zones, type the regexes below :

SEARCH (?-is)Appraise(?=.+=(.+))|=.+

REPLACE ?1\1

Click on the Replace button, as many times as necessary

Et voilà ! You’ll get the expected text, below :

"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"
"aBluff|0|Bluff "+Bluff+"/"eval(+mBluff+)" "+cBluff+"
"aConcentration|0|Concentration "+Concentration+"/"eval(+mConcentration+)" "+cConcentration+"
"aTest|0|Test "+Test+"/"eval(+mTest+)" "+cTest+"
"aShadowfire|0|Shadowfire "+Shadowfire+"/"eval(+mShadowfire+)" "+cShadowfire+"
"aOmega|0|Omega "+Omega+"/"eval(+mOmega+)" "+cOmega+"
"aOK|0|OK "+OK+"/"eval(+mOK+)" "+cOK+"
"aThe End|0|The End "+The End+"/"eval(+mThe End+)" "+cThe End+"

By this means, you can customize any number of lines, at once !!

Of course, if you used, for instance, the @ separator, instead of the = sign, you must modify the regex as below :

SEARCH (?-is)Appraise(?=.+@(.+))|@.+

And if you used the # symbol, the search regex is changed into :

SEARCH (?-is)Appraise(?=.+#(.+))|#.+

Best Regards,

guy038

Shadowfire Omega

Works like a charm! Already did the long way, but still have at least 10 more operations like this to deal with for this framework, so thank you big time!

guy038

Hello, @shadowfire-omega,

Just explain me the various operations that you need to perform, and maybe, some of them could be gathered in a same regex S/R ;-))

And, of course, I don’t mind explain my previous regex , if you would like to !

See you later,

Cheers,

guy038

Shadowfire Omega

Thank you for the offer, but using what you have provided me is all I currently need. But if you can explain how it works it would be appreciated!

guy038

Hi, @shadowfire-omega and All,

Hope you don’t mind my late reply ! So, given the 8 lines "aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+", which end, each, with a word, after the = separator sign

"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Appraise
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Bluff
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Concentration
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Test
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Shadowfire
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=Omega
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=OK
"aAppraise|0|Appraise "+Appraise+"/"eval(+mAppraise+)" "+cAppraise+"=The End

and the regex S/R :

SEARCH (?-is)Appraise(?=.+=(.+))|=.+

REPLACE ?1\1

First, the (?-is) forces the regex search to be sensitive ( non-insensitive !) to the case and the dot . regex character to represents any single standard character and not an End of Line character
Then it matches any of the two alternatives, giving priority to the first one
- The regex (?-is)Appraise(?=.+=(.+))
- The regex =.+
If the first alternative is chosen, it, then, matches the Appraise string but only if the look-ahead feature is verified. That is to say if there is, further on, in the same line, a = sign, followed by some standard characters, which ends the current line. As this condition is, by construction, always true, the part after the = sign is, thus, stored as group 1

As soon as the = location is reached, by the regex engine, no more = sign can be found, afterwards. So, the first alternative cannot be matched, anymore, in current line !

But, now, the second alternative =.+ matches all the end of line, beginning with the = sign
In replacement, ?1\1 is a conditional structure, which means :
- If group 1 exists, we replace the string Appraise with the contents of group 1
- If group 1 does not exist, we do not rewrite anything. So, the range of characters beginning with the = sign till the end of current line, is deleted

Et voilà !

Cheers

guy038