Searching for and Replacing text in files

Searching

To search for a text or regular expression string in the current file, choose Edit->Find or press Alt-F. This will open the Find dialog.

Figure 3. Find Text dialog

Use the text box to specify the string to search for, and select whether it is a normal string or a regular expression (RegExp). It is also possible to specify the direction of search, whether the search is case-sensitive or not, and the scope of the search. Click OK to start searching.

If the search is successful, the matched text in the document will be highlighted and you will be taken to the line containing the match. If the search is not successful, a match not found message will be displayed.

If you want to search again, click on the Find button on the main toolbar. This will find the next match in the direction of the search. You can even change the search text when you do this. Enter the new string in the Find String text box in the main toolbar.

Searching and replacing

Figure 4. Find and Replace dialog

Search and replace is similar to just finding text, except that you also specify the replace text in the Replace Text text box, and whether or not you want to be prompted before the replace takes place.