new lines in replace?

kracovwolf

So, I need to replace text. In “Find what”, it handles new lines in between characters/text just fine. However, the “replace with” field doesn’t recognize new lines from pasting. It simply cuts off all content after the new line/linebreak.

Alan Kilborn

@kracovwolf

Use Extended for the Search mode and then use \r\n in the Replace with text where you want the “new line/linebreak” to occur.

guy038

Hello, @kracovwolf, @alan-kilborn and All,

The solution, provided by @alan-kilborn which uses the Extended search mode is really valuable !

In fact, except in very rare cases, the syntaxes of the replacement part : Line1\r\nLine 2\r\nLine3\r\nLine4\r\n... will preserved the syntax of each line !

BTW, if you’re usually deal with UNIX files ( see on the right part of the status bar ), you’ll have to change the REPLACE part as below :

Line1\nLine 2\nLine3\nLine4\n...

For example, from this INPUT text :

ab$cD^E\Fg-h()iIJ[]K:L

Open the Replace dialog ( Ctrl + H )
Unckeck all box options
SEARCH ab$cD^E\Fg-h()iIJ[]K:L
REPLACE ab$c\r\nD^E\F\r\ng-h()i\r\nJ[]K:L
Check the Wrap around option
Select the Extended ( \n, \r, \t, \0, \x... search mode
Click on the Replace All button

=> You get the expected OUTPUT text :

ab$c
D^E\F
g-h()i
J[]K:L

In these others posts, below, I imagined a way to insert a multi-lines text, using the Regular expression search mode :

https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/97866

https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/97904

However, now I see that the Extended search mode or, even better, the Normal mode could drastically simplify the method when applied to a single file !

So, when you want to insert a multi-lines text, even in several locations, of the current file, just follow this method :

Let’s suppose that this INPUT text, below, is the text to be inserted :

-------------
Inserted
Multi-lines
Text 
-------------

First, paste the text to be inserted in a new tab
Select this multi-lines text without its last line-break ( so the line-break after the series of dashes )
Open the Replace dialog ( Ctrl + H )

=> The multi-lines text should be copied in the Find what: zone

Now, let’s switch to this text, in an other tab, which is the main text :

bla
blah
¤
bla
blah
<test>¤</test>
blah
bla
Begin ¤
blah
bla
blah
¤ end

Note that I use the ¤ symbol as an insertion symbol !

Click on the ⮁ symbol, of the replace dialog, in order to swap the Find what and Replace with zones

=> The multi-lines text has moved into the Replace with : zone

Insert a single ¤ symbol in the Find what : zone
Unchek all the box options
Check the Wrap around option
Select the Normal search mode ( No need to choose the Extended mode )
Click on the Replace All button

=> The ¤ should have been replaced by the multi-lines text in four locations and you get the following OUTPUT text :

bla
blah
-------------
Inserted
Multi-lines
Text 
-------------
bla
blah
<test>-------------
Inserted
Multi-lines
Text 
-------------</test>
blah
bla
Begin -------------
Inserted
Multi-lines
Text 
-------------
blah
bla
blah
-------------
Inserted
Multi-lines
Text 
------------- end

Best Regards,

guy038