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Search and Replace Filter

The Search and Replace filter searches for a given string or regular expression in the input text and replaces it with a string or regular expression submatch. When doing a Regular Expression search and replace using $1-$9 in the replacement text will match the appropriate submatched potion of the input text.

setting description
Search The string or regular expression to search for in the input text.
Replace This string will be substituted in the input text for any match.
Ignore Case When set do a case insensitive match on the input text.
Regular Expression Enables POSIX style regular expression matching.
Individual Lines Each line is treated as a separate string and run through the Reg Ex search and replace one at a time.
Contains This causes matches to only when any portion of a string matches the search term.
Starts With This causes matches to only occur when a string starts with the search term.
Whole Words This causes matches to only occur when a string fully matches the search term.
Ends With This causes matches to only occur when a string ends with the search term.
input output options
This is a TEST string. This is a Test string. Search = est
Replace = est
Ignore Case
Contains
This is a TEST string. This is a TEST string. Search = est
Replace = est
Contains
This is a TEST string. THIs is a TEST string. Search = Thi
Replace = THI
Starts With
This is a TEST string. THIS is a TEST string. Search = his
Replace = HIS
Ends With
This is a TEST string. THIS is a TEST string. Search = This
Replace = THIS
Whole Words
This is a TEST string. Replaced is a Replaced string. Search = T.{3}
Replace = Replaced
Regular Expression
Replace T and any 3 characters that follow it
This is a TEST string. ********************** Search = .
Replace = *
Regular Expression
Replace all characters with *
This is a TEST string. "This" is a "TEST" string. Search = ([[:alpha:]]{4})
Replace = "$1"
Regular Expression
Quote all 4 character strings
AB
AB
BB
AB
Search = ^A
Replace = B
Regular Expression
Match the start of the input followed by A
AB
AB
BB
BB
Search = ^A
Replace = B
Regular Expression
Individual Lines
Match the start of each line followed by A

Tip:

Enclosing any portion of a regular expression in () will create a submatch that can be used in the replacement by using $X to choose the particular part of the submatch you want to include (where X is the submatch you want to use, starting with 1)

See also