<![CDATA[Newbie question - search and replace with wildcard]]>Hi,
I’ve tried to find the solution for this question but I got stuck. Hopefully someone can help me out. I have a text file where I would like to make a search and replace

String to search for: “1” .* “1” where the .* can be anything but between two tabs and “1” . I find the strings with this to search for but feel free to correct me.

I would like to keep the data in the middle just change the second “1” to “6”

So: “1” “100” “1” would become “1” “100” “6”
And: “1” “99994” “1” would become “1” “99994” “6”

Can someone please help me out ?!

Many thanks
Fredrik from Sweden.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/20300/newbie-question-search-and-replace-with-wildcardRSS for NodeWed, 22 Apr 2026 21:24:20 GMTFri, 13 Nov 2020 14:04:32 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Newbie question - search and replace with wildcard on Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:40:34 GMT]]>@Alan-Kilborn said in Newbie question - search and replace with wildcard:

find: (?-s)(“1”.*?)“1”
repl: ${1}“6”

Many thanks! I really appriciate your help.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59664https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59664Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:40:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Newbie question - search and replace with wildcard on Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:21:16 GMT]]>@Fredrik-Konradsson

Of course, for this one TMTOWTDI.

Here’s another, which might be more along the track you were originally going:

find: (?-s)("1".*?)"1"
repl: ${1}"6"

That one might be clearer.

But anyway, good that it is solved for you.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59662https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59662Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:21:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Newbie question - search and replace with wildcard on Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:16:13 GMT]]>@Alan-Kilborn Ohh, many thanks. Saved my day! That I wouldn’t have figured out my self : ) Have a nice weekend.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59661https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59661Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:16:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Newbie question - search and replace with wildcard on Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:14:24 GMT]]>@Fredrik-Konradsson said in Newbie question - search and replace with wildcard:

String to search for: “1” .* “1” where the .* can be anything

I should have stated that your first try at it was not bad, not bad, indeed! :-)

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59660https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59660Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:14:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Newbie question - search and replace with wildcard on Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:10:30 GMT]]>@Fredrik-Konradsson

Try Regular expression search mode.

find: (?-s)"1".*?"\K1(?=")
repl: 6

I realize there is a lot going on in that find expression, for a newbie.

Reference the regular-expression information in our FAQ section.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59659https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59659Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:10:30 GMT