Advanced Search/Replace

[danielmount]

OOo replicates nearly all my favorite Word features and adds some new ones. One of the few areas in which OOo is less intuitive is advanced search/replace. In Word I would do things such as replace every paragraph mark followed by a certain character string [such as 1-(] with a tab followed by that number string.

While such things are possible in OOo, I have yet to find a complete list of the codes required to find these wildcard "characters" in the search/replace box. Is there a complete list anywhere?

Also, are there any plans to add a drop-down menu with some of these codes so that I don't have to Google each of them again each time I need them?

[DrewJensen]

I am afraid I can't give you a list - but this sounds like a wonderful candidate for a page on the wiki - that way it doesn't float off the bottom of a list of forum posts...

Perhaps someone could go start the page and then post back here...any takers?

[acknak]

Look in the online help under "regular expressions;list of"

Also see my post here: http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... p=668#p668, and especially the wiki article linked from there.

[danielmount]

Look in the online help under "regular expressions;list of"

Good point; I will need to remember to search in that category next time. I am so used to calling paragraph marks, tab marks etc. wildcards after years in Word that this takes some getting used to.

I raised the topic because I've now switched over to OOo 99.9% of the time. The only reason I keep Word installed on my computer is because of the more intuitive advanced wildcard search/replace tool.

Once/if a dropdown menu is implemented in the OOo replace window, I'll be thrilled to boot Word off my hard drive once and for all!

[Tyrel]

Not to cut in, but I find it interesting that this is the only reason you have kept word on your computer. I suppose, for me, the most missed feature when I switched over, was the very practical "Synonyms" and "Antonyms" option available. I haven't ended up using any advanced search and replace myself, and I've had open office for college papers and everything else for as long as I've had my computer. I do write a good deal in my spare time too. I suppose, that was the only feature I missed, because it was the only one which I fully appreciated.

again, not to cut in. I can't actually add anything to the topic, I just thought it was interesting.

[danielmount]

Not to cut in, but I find it interesting that this is the only reason you have kept word on your computer. I suppose, for me, the most missed feature when I switched over, was the very practical "Synonyms" and "Antonyms" option available. I haven't ended up using any advanced search and replace myself, and I've had open office for college papers and everything else for as long as I've had my computer. I do write a good deal in my spare time too. I suppose, that was the only feature I missed, because it was the only one which I fully appreciated.

again, not to cut in. I can't actually add anything to the topic, I just thought it was interesting.

That would make an interesting topic of its own. Would this be the forum in which to do it?

I have a wide enough vocabulary for daily usage, and it's been enough years since I had to impress a professor that I'd forgotten about that feature.

[danielmount]

Not to cut in, but I find it interesting that this is the only reason you have kept word on your computer. I suppose, for me, the most missed feature when I switched over, was the very practical "Synonyms" and "Antonyms" option available. I haven't ended up using any advanced search and replace myself, and I've had open office for college papers and everything else for as long as I've had my computer. I do write a good deal in my spare time too. I suppose, that was the only feature I missed, because it was the only one which I fully appreciated.

again, not to cut in. I can't actually add anything to the topic, I just thought it was interesting.

Tyrel, here's a thread I started specifically for discussing things like this: http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... f=52&t=318

[DrewJensen]

hmmm It has been a while since last I fired up Word...and there is no antonyms that I know of in Writer, but as for Synonyms

Tools>Language>Thesaurus

Unless I am missing something?

[huw]

Here's a direct link to the Regular Expressions in Writer HowTo

[danielmount]

Here's a direct link to the Regular Expressions in Writer HowTo

Thank you! That page is incredibly useful. I'll bookmark it since for some reason it doesn't seem to come up when I'm Googling it and needing it.

[huw]

...it doesn't seem to come up when I'm Googling it...

It's fairly new and either hasn't been indexed by Google yet, or hasn't built up much of a PageRank, because of a lack of links pointing to it yet.

[danielmount]

...it doesn't seem to come up when I'm Googling it...

It's fairly new and either hasn't been indexed by Google yet, or hasn't built up much of a PageRank, because of a lack of links pointing to it yet.

Interesting. Thanks!