Until editable macros are available (and perhaps even afterwards!), it would be extremely useful to be able to define search-and-replace edits with regular expressions in a script.
This script could be nominated by the user from the current [Replace] dialog. But most importantly, it provides the opportunity to debug AND automate lengthy or complicated edits .. even before editable macros are ready.
Scripted Regular Expressions
Moderators: AmigoJack, bbadmin, helios, Bob Hansen, MudGuard
I'm thinking of the script as a separate file, perhaps with the following conventions:
Each line contains a find/replace pair of Regular Expressions, separated by a tab-character. The first RegExp is the pattern for the target, and the one after the tab is the "replace" expression. a second tab-character could separate a documentary comment for the line.
Having these find-replace combinations in such a file achieves the editability requirement.
Each such file (identified with a suitable extension, like clipbooks) can be listed in a dropdown listbox in the [Replace] dialog. From this listbox, the user can select a pre-defined script of edits to apply.
The conventions above are simply a suggestion. Another might be to offer a clipbook-style dialog to edit the regexp scripts. I like the file idea as it offers more flexibility in terms of formatting and editing.
Each line contains a find/replace pair of Regular Expressions, separated by a tab-character. The first RegExp is the pattern for the target, and the one after the tab is the "replace" expression. a second tab-character could separate a documentary comment for the line.
Having these find-replace combinations in such a file achieves the editability requirement.
Each such file (identified with a suitable extension, like clipbooks) can be listed in a dropdown listbox in the [Replace] dialog. From this listbox, the user can select a pre-defined script of edits to apply.
The conventions above are simply a suggestion. Another might be to offer a clipbook-style dialog to edit the regexp scripts. I like the file idea as it offers more flexibility in terms of formatting and editing.