How to edit the XML macros in NotePad++

Arhack Bifrost

Context: I want to automate the “search in files” for a certain list of strings for example

myAwesomeVariable1
myAwesomeVariable2
myAwesomeVariable3
myAwesomeVariable4

search for myAwesomeVariable1 show its results then myAwesomeVariable2 and so on, the resulats will be somthing like that

Search "myAwesomeVariable1" (34 hits in 4 files)
Search "myAwesomeVariable2" (6 hits in 5 files)
Search "myAwesomeVariable3" (7 hits in 6 files)
Search "myAwesomeVariable4" (4 hits in 1 files)

As solution I thought of using a macros which select the first element then “search in file” [using the CTRL+SHIFT+F] go the 2nd one and so on but when I looked at the code behind the macros i found the following

<Macro name="myMacrosSearcher" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="no" Key="0">
            <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="myAwesomeVariable1" />
            <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1653" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="my_path" />
            <Action type="3" message="1652" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="*.txt*" />
            <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="32" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1656" sParam="" />   
        </Macro>

so the sParam for action “1601” is hard coded as myAwesomeVariable1 means each time I run this macros I get resulats of myAwesomeVariable1

Question : what is the syntaxe so I can store my list in array of string then pass it to the sParam and repeat that in a loop so my code will be something like:

<Macro name="myMacrosSearcher" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="no" Key="0">
arrayOfString[4] = {myAwesomeVariable1, myAwesomeVariable2, myAwesomeVariable3, myAwesomeVariable4}
                for(i = 0;i<3;i++)
                {
                <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
                <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=arrayOfString[i] />
                <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
                <Action type="3" message="1653" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="my_path" />
                <Action type="3" message="1652" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="*.txt*" />
                <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="32" sParam="" />
                <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1656" sParam="" />   
                }
            </Macro>

rinku singh

simply replace in shortcuts.xml file from

<Macro name="myMacrosSearcher" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="no" Key="0">
            <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="myAwesomeVariable1" />
            <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1653" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="my_path" />
            <Action type="3" message="1652" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="*.txt*" />
            <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="32" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1656" sParam="" />   
        </Macro>

to

<Macro name="myMacrosSearcher" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="no" Key="0">
            <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="myAwesomeVariable1" />
            <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1653" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="my_path" />
            <Action type="3" message="1652" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="*.txt*" />
            <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="32" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1656" sParam="" />   

            <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="myAwesomeVariable2" />
            <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1653" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="my_path" />
            <Action type="3" message="1652" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="*.txt*" />
            <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="32" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1656" sParam="" /> 

            <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="myAwesomeVariable3" />
            <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1653" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="my_path" />
            <Action type="3" message="1652" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="*.txt*" />
            <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="32" sParam="" />
            <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1656" sParam="" /> 			
        </Macro>

Arhack Bifrost

@gurikbal-singh thanks for your help, i already dulpicated it to make sure the approach is correct but isn’t “handy” assuming that I have 1000 terms to search for

dinkumoil

@Oussama-Moustakim

I already told you in >>> this thread <<< that you need a scripting solution or you use the FindStr workaround I’ve posted there.

Your problem will not be solved only by repeating your question. If you don’t want to use my workaround, ask the community for help to script a proper solution instead of flooding the forum with the same question.

Arhack Bifrost

@dinkumoil Thanks for the “FindStr” solution it seems to work but not in a “neat” way since the resulat are mixed and I want to stick to a “NotePadian” solution (this way I can get my hand dirty with some scripts and maybe plugin devloppement), my post here was to see the possibilities i can get by manipulating the macros file and not a repetition of the issue.
currently I’m working on a script using PyhtonScript as you suggested and I’m sure the community will be great help for me

cheers