Delete specific lines from file

F. Tin-Loi · Post by **F. Tin-Loi** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 10:53 pm

Hi:

I have a text file of some 50,000 lines (representing text data records). I want to (a) identify all lines that contain say "abcd" (this occurs only once per line), and (b) delete from the file every second line from the identified lines in (a). For example, let the file contain:

line 1 ... abcd ...
line 2 ... abcd ...
line 3 ... abcd ...
line 4 ...
line 5 ... abcd ...
line 6 ...
line 7 ... abcd ...
line 8 ...

I would like to delete lines 2 and 5 from the file.

Thanks

talleyrand · Post by **talleyrand** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:22 pm

F5 - search
Find What = abcd
Mark All

Edit
Cut Other
Bookmarked Lines

F. Tin-Loi · Post by **F. Tin-Loi** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:30 pm

Thanks.

But I think your solution deltes ALL lines containing "abcd", not every second line.

Francis

talleyrand · Post by **talleyrand** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 3:16 am

Doh! Sorry, I should have read more closely. Hmmm, I don't think that's possible. I could probably write you a Python script if you need it --- it'd be trivial.

Bob Hansen · Post by **Bob Hansen** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:17 am

How about this as an approach. A two phase process: A macro to modify the lines to be removed, and then just delete them.

Prep before running macro:
1. Go to beginning of document
2. Set up Search, Replace with following values:
a. Search for "abcd"
b. Replace with "~qqq~" (or some other unique value)
3. Leave Replace window open

Phase-1 macro - Modify every other instance of "abcd"
Run the following macro (Run macro through entire document):
1. Find Next
2. Find Next
3. Replace

Phase 2 - Delete lines that were modified.
1. Close Replace window.
2. Go to beginning of document
3. Search, Find "~qqq~"
4. Mark All
5. Edit, Delete, Bookmarked Lines
===============================
This is just an untested concept for an approach, actual keystrokes may be slightly different, but I think this is pretty close. Hope this is a sensible solution for you.

mo · Post by mo » Thu Dec 18, 2003 11:47 am

If you can do:

Find Next
Find Next
Replace

you can do

Find Next
Find Next
Bookmark

on the original abcd

No?

Then Cut Other Bookmarked

Post by **MudGuard** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 11:49 am

Why the second phase?
Instead of modifying the line, simply delete it...

i.e.: Modify Phase 1 to:

Search for abcd
Find Next
Find Next
Edit - Delete - Line

talleyrand · Post by **talleyrand** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 2:46 pm

Well sure, if y'all want to take the easy way out, you can do that...

mo · Post by mo » Thu Dec 18, 2003 5:29 pm

Yeah, we can't have people going and actually thinking about things before they post! Gives the rest of us a bad rep.

Bob Hansen · Post by **Bob Hansen** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 12:00 am

I don't even recognize my first suggestion

Good work everyone!

F. Tin-Loi should be all set now!