How to replace multiple "variables" vs a template

[Andrea Zaccheroni]

I’ve a certain configuration template i have to replicate N times where N is the number of lines in a file replacing certain “words” with the ones present in the source line, a sort of mail merge I’d like to obtain in NPP… Hope the example is more clear:
Template text/file:

conf conf %VAR1% conf
conf  %VAR1% conf %VAR1%
conf conf %VAR1% conf conf %VAR2%
conf %VAR2%

file with list of variables:

*var1*,*var2*
*test,*merge*
*mail*,*MERGE*

desired result:

conf conf *var1* conf
conf  *var1* conf *var1*
conf conf *var1* conf conf *var2*
conf *var2*
conf conf *test* conf
conf  *test* conf *test*
conf conf *test* conf conf *merge*
conf *merge*
conf conf *mail* conf
conf  *mail* conf *mail*
conf conf *mail* conf conf *MERGE*
conf *MERGE*

[PeterJones]

@andrea-zaccheroni ,

Normally I would say that mail merge is something that should be done with a purpose-built tool (and I’m surprised no one has written a mailmerge plugin, that I can find, for Notepad++). But your example is easy enough (and since you went to the trouble to actually present your question with the data marked up, I am happy to help).

I was recently reminded of the ToolBucket plugin (Plugins > Plugins Admin, checkmark ToolBucket, and Install), which has a multi-line FIND and REPLACE box, which makes search/replace like this much easier.

1. active file =

   *var1*,*var2*
   *test,*merge*
   *mail*,*MERGE*
   PETER,JONES
   

2. Plugins > ToolBucket > Multiline Find and Replace
3. FIND = (?-s)^(.*?),(.*)$
4. REPLACE =

   conf conf $1 conf
   conf $1 conf $1
   conf conf $1 conf conf $2
   conf $2
   

   (you can just copy that from the forum and paste it in the box)
5. checkmark the “Use regular expression” checkbox
6. Replace and/or Replace All
   7. With my example, the results were

   conf conf *var1* conf
   conf *var1* conf *var1*
   conf conf *var1* conf conf *var2*
   conf *var2*
   conf conf *test conf
   conf *test conf *test
   conf conf *test conf conf *merge*
   conf *merge*
   conf conf *mail* conf
   conf *mail* conf *mail*
   conf conf *mail* conf conf *MERGE*
   conf *MERGE*
   conf conf PETER conf
   conf PETER conf PETER
   conf conf PETER conf conf JONES
   conf JONES
   

I think that does what you want.

-—

Useful References

• Please Read Before Posting
• Template for Search/Replace Questions
• FAQ: Where to find regular expressions (regex) documentation
• Notepad++ Online User Manual: Searching/Regex

[Michael Vincent]

@peterjones said in How to replace multiple "variables" vs a template:

I think that does what you want.

You could do this with Notepad++ regular expression Find/Replace, you just need to put the newlines in the “Replace” text box:

conf conf $1 conf\nconf $1 conf $1\nconf conf $1 conf conf $2\nconf $2

In case you don’t want (or can’t install) the plugin. The plugin text box does make it much more obvious, intuitive, visually appealing for the multi-line search and replace.

Cheers.

[Alan Kilborn]

@michael-vincent said in How to replace multiple "variables" vs a template:

conf\nconf

And you’d want to be careful about what type of “newlines” you put in; specifically on Windows you are likely to want \r\n instead of \n.