Replace matched pattern with different font - regex

Question

I am using Outlook 2010, and I am trying to write a macro to replace the font of text with a different one, if it matches a pattern.
The logic I am trying to apply is simple - in the user selected text, check for a pattern, and on match, change the font for the matched text.
So far I have been able to split the text and apply/check regex, but the replacement is something that I am not clear on how to do.
Dim objOL As Application
Dim objDoc As Object
Dim objSel As Object
Dim regEx As RegExp
Dim matches As MatchCollection
Dim m As Match
Dim lines As Variant
Dim ms As String
Set objOL = Application
Set objDoc = objOL.ActiveInspector.WordEditor
Set objSel = objDoc.Windows(1).Selection
lines = Split(objSel, Chr(13))
For i = 0 To UBound(lines) Step 1
Set regEx = New RegExp
With regEx
.Pattern = "\[(ok|edit|error)\](\[.*\])?" ' <-- this is just one regex, I want to be able to check more regexes
.Global = True
End With
If regEx.Test(lines(i)) Then
Set matches = regEx.Execute(lines(i))
For Each m In matches
ms = m.SubMatches(1)
' ms.Font.Italic = True
' <-- here is where I am not sure how to replace! :( -->
Next
End If
Next i
P.S there seems to be text-search (objSel.Find.Text)and replace (objSel.Find.Replacement.Text) methods in Selection object, but not pattern-search ! (or I am missing it)
--EDIT--
Adding a sample text
user#host> show some data
..<few lines of data>.. <-- these lines as-is (but monospaced)
[ok][2014-11-26 11:05:02]
user#host> edit some other data
[edit data]
user#host(data)% some other command
I want to convert the whole block to a monospaced font (like Courier New, or Consolas)
And change the part that begins with something#somewhere.. and till > or % to dimmer color,
(i.e in this example user#host> and user#host(data)% dimmer/grey)
The rest in that line to bold (show some data et al)
And, all the bracketed text followed by time-stamps (or without timestamps) similar to 2. (i.e, dim/grey)

Answer 1

This is getting closer to being done. The framework is here to make all sorts of changes now. Just need to get some of the regex patterns down to make the changes.
Sub FormatSelection()
Dim objMailItem As Outlook.MailItem
Dim objInspector As Outlook.Inspector: Set objInspector = Application.ActiveInspector
Dim objHtmlEditor As Object
Dim objWord As Object
Dim Range As Word.Selection
Dim objSavedSelection As Word.Selection
Dim objFoundText As Object
' Verify a mail object is in focus.
If objInspector.CurrentItem.Class = olMail Then
' Get the mail object.
Set objMailItem = objInspector.CurrentItem
If objInspector.EditorType = olEditorWord Then
' We are using a Word editor. Get the selected text.
Set objHtmlEditor = objMailItem.GetInspector.WordEditor
Set objWord = objHtmlEditor.Application
Set Range = objWord.Selection
Debug.Print Range.Range
' Set defaults for the selection
With Range.Font
.Name = "Courier"
.ColorIndex = wdAuto
End With
' Stylize the bracketed text
Call FormatTextWithRegex(Range, 2, "\[(.+?)\]")
' Prompt style text.
Call FormatTextWithRegex(Range, 2, "(\w+?#.+?)(?=[\>\%])")
' Text following the prompt.
Call FormatTextWithRegex(Range, 3, "(\w+?#.+?[\>\%])(.+)")
End If
End If
Set objInspector = Nothing
Set Range = Nothing
Set objHtmlEditor = Nothing
Set objMailItem = Nothing
End Sub
Private Sub FormatTextWithRegex(ByRef pRange As Word.Selection, pActionIndex As Integer, pPattern As String)
' This routine will perform a regex replacement on the text in pRange using pPattern
' on text based on the pactionindex passed.
Const intLightColourIndex = 15
Dim objRegex As RegExp: Set objRegex = New RegExp
Dim objSingleMatch As Object
Dim objMatches As Object
' Configure Regex object.
With objRegex
.IgnoreCase = True
.MultiLine = False
.Pattern = pPattern ' Example "\[(ok|edit|error)\](\[.+?\])?"
.Global = True
End With
' Locate all matches if any.
Set objMatches = objRegex.Execute(pRange.Text)
' Find
If (objMatches.Count > 0) Then
Debug.Print objMatches.Count & " Match(es) Found"
For Each objSingleMatch In objMatches
' Locate the text associated to this match in the selection so we can replace it.
Debug.Print "Match Found: '" & objSingleMatch & "'"
With pRange.Find
'.ClearFormatting
.Text = objSingleMatch.Value
.ClearFormatting
Select Case pActionIndex
Case 1 ' Italisize text
.Replacement.Text = objSingleMatch.Value
.Replacement.Font.Bold = False
.Replacement.Font.Italic = True
.Replacement.Font.ColorIndex = wdAuto
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
Case 2 ' Dim the colour
.Replacement.Text = objSingleMatch.Value
.Replacement.Font.Bold = False
.Replacement.Font.Italic = False
.Replacement.Font.ColorIndex = intLightColourIndex
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
Case 3 ' Bold that text!
.Replacement.Text = objSingleMatch.Value
.Replacement.Font.Bold = True
.Replacement.Font.Italic = False
.Replacement.Font.ColorIndex = wdAuto
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End Select
End With
Next
Else
Debug.Print "No matches found for pattern: " & pPattern
End If
Set objRegex = Nothing
Set objSingleMatch = Nothing
Set objMatches = Nothing
End Sub
So we take what the user has selected and execute the macro. I have my Outlook configured with Word for the editor so that is tested for. Take the selected text and run the regex query against the text saving the matches.
The issue you had is what to do with the match once you found it. In my case since we have the actual text that matched we can run that through a find and replace using the selection once again. Replacing the text with itself instead styled as directed.
Caveats
My testing text was the following:
asdfadsfadsf [ok][Test]dsfadsfasdf asdfadsfadsfasdfasdfadsfadsf [ok][Test]dsfadsfasdf asdfadsfadsfasdf
I had to change your regex in your sample to be less greedy since it was matching both [ok][Test] sections. I don't know what kind of text you are working with so my logic might not apply to your situation. Test with caution.
You also had a comment that you needed to test multiple regexes... regexies.... I don't know what the plural is. Wouldn't be hard to create another function that calls this one for several patterns. Assuming this logic works repeating it should not be a big deal. I would like to make this work for you so if something is wrong let me know.
Code Update
I have changed the code so that the regex replacement is in a sub. So what the code does right now is change the selected text to courier and italisize text based on a regex. Now with how it is set up you can use the sub routine FormatTextWithRegex to make changes. Just need to update the pattern and action index which will perform the different styles. Will be updating this again soon with more information. Right now all that exists is the structure that I think you need.
Having issues with the bolding still but you can see the grey part is working correctly. Also the since this relies on highlighting the multiple calls to the function are causing an issue. Just not sure what it is.