I have looked at multiple solutions here for similar tasks, and tried them in different ways.
Essentially, I have a cells with long, somewhat similar strings of text, and I want to isolate specific text markers in order to be able to split on those markers. The specific string I am looking for is "MHPP" and I want to replace it with "][MHPP " so I can used the split function to split on the "]".
I was able to get it to work by manually Finding and Replacing (CTRL+F and selecting parameters for the replace), but I want to be able to script it because I won't be the one running the script and need to simplify the process for low-information users.
Using =replace(find("MHPP"),7,"][MHPP ") only finds the first instance of the find value, and there may be multiple usages of the term throughout the cell.
Any suggestions? I suppose there might be a way to write the cell to a string, and replace within the array, but the logic of that process is escaping me at the moment.
I'm not asking for the entire code. I can activate the sheet, get the range, and work from there, but I just don't know how to write the specific function findAndReplace() that would actually locate all repetitions of the string and replace them all.
I'm also open to importing the .csv into a different format, running a function there, and returning it back out to a .csv, but that hasn't proven to be very fruitful either in my searches.
Thanks for any guidance you can offer to get me on the right path.
You can use the replace string function on every cell in a global iteration of your sheet, do that at array level to keep it fast and simple.
The code itself can be very short and straightforward like this :
function myFunction() {
var sh = SpreadsheetApp.getActive();
var data = sh.getDataRange().getValues();// get all data
for(var n=0;n<data.length;n++){
for(var m=0;m<data[0].length;m++){
if(typeof(data[n][m])=='string'){ // if it is a string
data[n][m]=data[n][m].replace(/MHPP/g,'][MHPP');// use the regex replace with /g parameter meaning "globally"
}
}
}
sh.getDataRange().setValues(data);// update sheet values
}
This could be improved to take care of certain situations where the script would be executed twice (or more) to prevent replacement if '][' is already present... I'll let you manage these details.
Related
I have a text file in Notepad++ that contains about 66,000 words all in 1 line, and it is a set of 200 "lines" of output that are all unique and placed in 1 line in the basic JSON form {output:[{output1},{output2},...}]}.
There is a set of characters matching the RegEx expression "id":.........,"kind":"track" that occurs about 285 times in total, and I am trying to either single them out, or copy all of them at once.
Basically, without some super complicated RegEx terms, I am stuck because I can't figure out how to highlight all of them at once, and also the Remove Unbookmarked Lines feature does not apply because this is all in one line. I have only managed to be able to Mark every single occurrence.
So does this require a large number of steps to get the file into multiple lines and work from there, or is there something else I am missing?
Edit: I have come up with a set of Macro schemes that make the process of doing this manually work much faster. It's another alternative but still takes a few steps and quite some time.
Edit 2: I intended there to be an answer for actually just highlighting the different sections all at once, but I guess that it not possible. The answer here turns out to be more useful in my case, allowing me to have a list of IDs without everything else.
You seem to already have a regex which matches single instances of your pattern, so assuming it works and that we must use Notepad++ for this:
Replace .*?("id":.........,"kind":"track").*?(?="id".........,"kind":"track"|$) with \1.
If this textfile is valid JSON, this opens you up to other, non-notepad++ options, like using Python with the json module.
Edited to remove unnecessary steps
Is it possible when columns not align?
var[x];
var[x];
var[x];
var[x];
..
replace
var[0];
var[1];
var[2];
var[3];
Sezer, here is an easy way to do it in Notepad++
In the Replace tab, make sure you check the "Regular Expression" box at the bottom left
Search: (^\w+\[(\d+)\]=[^;]+;\w+\[)[^]]+
Replace: \1\2 or $1$2 (depending on your locale, you may have to choose one or the other.)
Hit "Replace All"
Note that this will work for two variables on the same line, regardless of their name, for instance firstvar[10]="asfa";somevar[x]="asdfas";
If you want to replace only when the first variable is called kelimeler, change the search to:
(^kelimeler\[(\d+)\]=[^;]+;\w+\[)[^]]+
If you want to replace only when the first variable is called kelimeler and the second variable is called specialvar, use:
(^kelimeler\[(\d+)\]=[^;]+;specialvar\[)[^]]+
You could just use a simple script, for example in JavaScript:
var x=10;
for (var i=0;i<x;i++) {
console.log('var['+i+'];');
}
with var x being the amount of rows you want to have
Then simply copy the logged output from your console.
Using such repetitive code does look awfully inefficient though. Almost every respectable programming/scripting language has some kind of incremental looping built in already. What is it you're trying to accomplish with this code? There is probably an easier way to do this.
This is my first post on stackoverflow, so please be gentle with me...
I am still learning regex - mostly because I have finally discovered how useful they can be and this is in part through using Sublime Text 2. So this is Perl regex (I believe)
I have done searching on this and other sites but I am now genuinely stuck. Maybe I am trying to do something that can't be done
I would like to find a regex (pattern) that will let me find the function or method or procedure etc that contains a given variable or method call.
I have tried a number of expressions and they seem to get part of the way but not all the way. Particularly when searching in Javascript I pick up multiple function declarations instead of the one nearest to the call/variable that I am looking for.
for example:
I am looking for the function that calls the method save data()
I have learnt, from this excellent site that I can use (?s) to switch . to include newlines
function.*(?=(?s).*?savedata\(\))
however, that will find the first instance of the word function and then all the text unto and including savedata()
if there are multiple procedures then it will start at the next function and repeat until it gets to savedata() again
function(?s).*?savedata\(\) does something similar
I have tried asking it to ignore the second function (I believe) by using something like:
function(?s).*?(?:(?!function).*?)*savedata\(\)
But that doesn't work.
I have done some investigation with look forwards and look backwards but either I am doing it wrong (highly possible) or they are not the right thing.
In summary (I guess), how do I go backwards, from a given word to the nearest occurrence of a different word.
At the moment I am using this to search through some javascript files to try and understand the structure/calls etc but ultimately I am hoping to use on c# files and some vb.net files
Many thanks in advance
Thanks for the swift responses and sorry for not added an example block of code - which I will do now (modified but still sufficient to show the issue)
if I have a simple block of javascript like the following:
function a_CellClickHandler(gridName, cellId, button){
var stuffhappenshere;
var and here;
if(something or other){
if (anothertest) {
event.returnValue=false;
event.cancelBubble=true;
return true;
}
else{
event.returnValue=false;
event.cancelBubble=true;
return true;
}
}
}
function a_DblClickHandler(gridName, cellId){
var userRow = rowfromsomewhere;
var userCell = cellfromsomewhereelse;
//this will need to save the local data before allowing any inserts to ensure that they are inserted in the correct place
if (checkforarangeofthings){
if (differenttest) {
InsSeqNum = insertnumbervalue;
InsRowID = arow.getValue()
blnWasInsert = true;
blnWasDoubleClick = true;
SaveData();
}
}
}
running the regex against this - including the second one that was identified as should be working Sublime Text 2 will select everything from the first function through to SaveData()
I would like to be able to get to just the dblClickHandler in this case - not both.
Hopefully this code snippet will add some clarity and sorry for not posting originally as I hoped a standard code file would suffice.
This regex will find every Javascript function containing the SaveData method:
(?<=[\r\n])([\t ]*+)function[^\r\n]*+[\r\n]++(?:(?!\1\})[^\r\n]*+[\r\n]++)*?[^\r\n]*?\bSaveData\(\)
It will match all the lines in the function up to, and including, the first line containing the SaveData method.
Caveat:
The source code must have well-formed indentation for this to work, as the regex uses matching indentations to detect the end of functions.
Will not match a function if it starts on the first line of the file.
Explanation:
(?<=[\r\n]) Start at the beginning of a line
([\t ]*+) Capture the indentation of that line in Capture Group 1
function[^\r\n]*+[\r\n]++ Match the rest of the declaration line of the function
(?:(?!\1\})[^\r\n]*+[\r\n]++)*? Match more lines (lazily) which are not the last line of the function, until:
[^\r\n]*?\bSaveData\(\) Match the first line of the function containing the SaveData method call
Note: The *+ and ++ are possessive quantifiers, only used to speed up execution.
EDIT:
Fixed two minor problems with the regex.
EDIT:
Fixed another minor problem with the regex.
I am curently busy with bulding a synthax document in SPSS and have a column of variable strings that consists of approximately 40 lines (it will be much much more in coming week). SPSS has a nice way of creating it (can be seen here :)
http://vault.hanover.edu/~altermattw/methods/stats/reliable/reliability-1.html) but it can be done per one variable at a time which is possible to automatize.
I am a total beginner (I wouldn't mind if you would call me n00b) at search&replace with reqular expressions in notepad++ but I can use the extended search function as a basic user :P
The data contains scores Likert scale (from 1-7) and I would like to reverse it to do some tests.
For example: my variable name on the line is q_4_SQ001 and the sline in synthax editor is q_4_SQ001=COMPUTE q_4_SQ001r=8-q_4_SQ001.
My question so far is thus:
How can I convert a line containing a unique variable name into it's revers formula?
So in this case, how can I replace the following lines:
q_4_SQ001
q_4_SQ002
q_4_SQ003
q_4_SQ004
into the synthax given under:
COMPUTE q_4_SQ001r=8-q_4_SQ001.
COMPUTE q_4_SQ002r=8-q_4_SQ002.
COMPUTE q_4_SQ003r=8-q_4_SQ003.
COMPUTE q_4_SQ004r=8-q_4_SQ004.
Please remark the dots in the end of each line I did this manually to give you an impression of what I would like to achieve. My data set has different questions and different variable strings so I would like to make my life a bit easier right now :P
I also tried recording and running a macro as stated in here (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2467875/notepad-replace-all-regular-expression-start-of-the-line-and-end-of-the-line) but that still is pretty time consuming since I have to do each line manulally and clean up with extended search in the end.
Wouldn't it be easier to convert each line?
Thanks a bunch in advance :)
Funny, Notepad++ works under Wine, as I just found out ;)
New file, inserted:
q_4_SQ001
q_4_SQ002
q_4_SQ003
q_4_SQ004
Select all (CTRL+A), replace (CTRL+R).
Tick Regular Expr, stick ^(.*)$ in the "find" bit (first textbox), and COMPUTE \1r=8-\1. in the "replace" bit (second textbox). Hit the Find button, and then the Replace Rest button.
Parenthesis () around a pattern cause the pattern to be "memorised", each set of parenthesis available to the replacement pattern via \1, \2, etc.
After the replace, I got:
COMPUTE q_4_SQ001r=8-q_4_SQ001.
COMPUTE q_4_SQ002r=8-q_4_SQ002.
COMPUTE q_4_SQ003r=8-q_4_SQ003.
COMPUTE q_4_SQ004r=8-q_4_SQ004.
Which I assume is what you wanted. Enjoy.
I recently discussed editors with a co-worker. He uses one of the less popular editors and I use another (I won't say which ones since it's not relevant and I want to avoid an editor flame war). I was saying that I didn't like his editor as much because it doesn't let you do find/replace with regular expressions.
He said he's never wanted to do that, which was surprising since it's something I find myself doing all the time. However, off the top of my head I wasn't able to come up with more than one or two examples. Can anyone here offer some examples of times when they've found regex find/replace useful in their editor? Here's what I've been able to come up with since then as examples of things that I've actually had to do:
Strip the beginning of a line off of every line in a file that looks like:
Line 25634 :
Line 632157 :
Taking a few dozen files with a standard header which is slightly different for each file and stripping the first 19 lines from all of them all at once.
Piping the result of a MySQL select statement into a text file, then removing all of the formatting junk and reformatting it as a Python dictionary for use in a simple script.
In a CSV file with no escaped commas, replace the first character of the 8th column of each row with a capital A.
Given a bunch of GDB stack traces with lines like
#3 0x080a6d61 in _mvl_set_req_done (req=0x82624a4, result=27158) at ../../mvl/src/mvl_serv.c:850
strip out everything from each line except the function names.
Does anyone else have any real-life examples? The next time this comes up, I'd like to be more prepared to list good examples of why this feature is useful.
Just last week, I used regex find/replace to convert a CSV file to an XML file.
Simple enough to do really, just chop up each field (luckily it didn't have any escaped commas) and push it back out with the appropriate tags in place of the commas.
Regex make it easy to replace whole words using word boundaries.
(\b\w+\b)
So you can replace unwanted words in your file without disturbing words like Scunthorpe
Yesterday I took a create table statement I made for an Oracle table and converted the fields to setString() method calls using JDBC and PreparedStatements. The table's field names were mapped to my class properties, so regex search and replace was the perfect fit.
Create Table text:
...
field_1 VARCHAR2(100) NULL,
field_2 VARCHAR2(10) NULL,
field_3 NUMBER(8) NULL,
field_4 VARCHAR2(100) NULL,
....
My Regex Search:
/([a-z_])+ .*?,?/
My Replacement:
pstmt.setString(1, \1);
The result:
...
pstmt.setString(1, field_1);
pstmt.setString(1, field_2);
pstmt.setString(1, field_3);
pstmt.setString(1, field_4);
....
I then went through and manually set the position int for each call and changed the method to setInt() (and others) where necessary, but that worked handy for me. I actually used it three or four times for similar field to method call conversions.
I like to use regexps to reformat lists of items like this:
int item1
double item2
to
public void item1(int item1){
}
public void item2(double item2){
}
This can be a big time saver.
I use it all the time when someone sends me a list of patient visit numbers in a column (say 100-200) and I need them in a '0000000444','000000004445' format. works wonders for me!
I also use it to pull out email addresses in an email. I send out group emails often and all the bounced returns come back in one email. So, I regex to pull them all out and then drop them into a string var to remove from the database.
I even wrote a little dialog prog to apply regex to my clipboard. It grabs the contents applies the regex and then loads it back into the clipboard.
One thing I use it for in web development all the time is stripping some text of its HTML tags. This might need to be done to sanitize user input for security, or for displaying a preview of a news article. For example, if you have an article with lots of HTML tags for formatting, you can't just do LEFT(article_text,100) + '...' (plus a "read more" link) and render that on a page at the risk of breaking the page by splitting apart an HTML tag.
Also, I've had to strip img tags in database records that link to images that no longer exist. And let's not forget web form validation. If you want to make a user has entered a correct email address (syntactically speaking) into a web form this is about the only way of checking it thoroughly.
I've just pasted a long character sequence into a string literal, and now I want to break it up into a concatenation of shorter string literals so it doesn't wrap. I also want it to be readable, so I want to break only after spaces. I select the whole string (minus the quotation marks) and do an in-selection-only replace-all with this regex:
/.{20,60} /
...and this replacement:
/$0"ΒΆ + "/
...where the pilcrow is an actual newline, and the number of spaces varies from one incident to the next. Result:
String s = "I recently discussed editors with a co-worker. He uses one "
+ "of the less popular editors and I use another (I won't say "
+ "which ones since it's not relevant and I want to avoid an "
+ "editor flame war). I was saying that I didn't like his "
+ "editor as much because it doesn't let you do find/replace "
+ "with regular expressions.";
The first thing I do with any editor is try to figure out it's Regex oddities. I use it all the time. Nothing really crazy, but it's handy when you've got to copy/paste stuff between different types of text - SQL <-> PHP is the one I do most often - and you don't want to fart around making the same change 500 times.
Regex is very handy any time I am trying to replace a value that spans multiple lines. Or when I want to replace a value with something that contains a line break.
I also like that you can match things in a regular expression and not replace the full match using the $# syntax to output the portion of the match you want to maintain.
I agree with you on points 3, 4, and 5 but not necessarily points 1 and 2.
In some cases 1 and 2 are easier to achieve using a anonymous keyboard macro.
By this I mean doing the following:
Position the cursor on the first line
Start a keyboard macro recording
Modify the first line
Position the cursor on the next line
Stop record.
Now all that is needed to modify the next line is to repeat the macro.
I could live with out support for regex but could not live without anonymous keyboard macros.