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

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  • C
    Chuny_OK
    last edited by Chuny_OK Sep 19, 2020, 7:49 PM Sep 19, 2020, 7:48 PM

    Hello again!

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

    <property name=“dateTimeHour” type=“uint32” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
    <value>12</value>

    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!

    A 1 Reply Last reply Sep 19, 2020, 8:48 PM Reply Quote 0
    • A
      astrosofista @Chuny_OK
      last edited by Sep 19, 2020, 8:48 PM

      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!

      C 1 Reply Last reply Sep 25, 2020, 2:38 AM Reply Quote 3
      • C
        Chuny_OK @astrosofista
        last edited by Sep 25, 2020, 2:38 AM

        @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!

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • T
          Terry R
          last edited by Terry R Sep 25, 2020, 2:52 AM Sep 25, 2020, 2:51 AM

          @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

          C 2 Replies Last reply Sep 25, 2020, 2:52 AM Reply Quote 1
          • C
            Chuny_OK @Terry R
            last edited by Sep 25, 2020, 2:52 AM

            @Terry-R

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

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • C
              Chuny_OK @Terry R
              last edited by Chuny_OK Sep 26, 2020, 9:41 PM Sep 26, 2020, 9:39 PM

              @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:

              <property name=“dateTimeHour” type=“uint32” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
              <value>19</value>

              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.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • T
                Terry R
                last edited by Sep 26, 2020, 10:17 PM

                @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

                C 1 Reply Last reply Oct 3, 2020, 5:57 AM Reply Quote 2
                • C
                  Chuny_OK @Terry R
                  last edited by Chuny_OK Oct 3, 2020, 5:58 AM Oct 3, 2020, 5:57 AM

                  @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.

                  C T 2 Replies Last reply Oct 3, 2020, 6:00 AM Reply Quote 0
                  • C
                    Chuny_OK @Chuny_OK
                    last edited by Oct 3, 2020, 6:00 AM

                    @Chuny_OK

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

                    <property name=“gameMinExposure” type=“float” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
                    <value>-14</value>

                    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.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • T
                      Terry R @Chuny_OK
                      last edited by Oct 3, 2020, 7:20 AM

                      @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

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                      • T
                        Terry R
                        last edited by Oct 3, 2020, 7:31 AM

                        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

                        C 1 Reply Last reply Oct 5, 2020, 12:47 AM Reply Quote 2
                        • C
                          Chuny_OK @Terry R
                          last edited by Oct 5, 2020, 12:47 AM

                          @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.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • T
                            Terry R
                            last edited by Terry R Oct 5, 2020, 1:10 AM Oct 5, 2020, 1:09 AM

                            @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

                            C 1 Reply Last reply Oct 5, 2020, 2:17 AM Reply Quote 2
                            • C
                              Chuny_OK @Terry R
                              last edited by Oct 5, 2020, 2:17 AM

                              @Terry-R

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

                              Thank you very much for all the help and quickness!

                              C 1 Reply Last reply Oct 11, 2020, 10:57 PM Reply Quote 1
                              • C
                                Chuny_OK @Chuny_OK
                                last edited by Oct 11, 2020, 10:57 PM

                                @Terry-R

                                So… Terry!
                                I’m very sorry to keep dragging you into this, but a new issue came up.
                                It looks like when the value has a decimal, when I use the string you provided, it only replaces the part after the “.”.

                                For example:

                                <property name=“gameMinExposure” type=“float” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
                                <value>-12.5</value>

                                If I want to replace “-12.5” with “11” at every found string, it actually comes up like this:

                                <property name=“gameMinExposure” type=“float” container=“StaticArray” arraySize=“1”>
                                <value>-12.11.5</value>

                                Using:
                                Find: (?s-i)(gameMinExposure.+?)-*\d+(</value>)
                                Replace With: ($1)11.5($2)

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • T
                                  Terry R
                                  last edited by Terry R Oct 11, 2020, 11:28 PM Oct 11, 2020, 11:27 PM

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

                                  If I want to replace “-12.5” with “11” at every found string, it actually comes up like this:

                                  OK, some more changes required then. The latest revision of the Find What regex is:
                                  (?s-i)(gameMinExposure.+?<value>).+?(</value>)
                                  So in this instance I’ve put the 2 tags (<value> and </value>) around the “other” characters (number) that we need to replace. So the .+? does not care what currently exists in this position, but whatever is there will be replaced with the new number which you have in the Replace With field.

                                  Terry

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
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