[OS X TeX] Search and replace in many files

[Alain Schremmer]

On Sep 6, 2012, at 4:13 PM, Peter Dyballa wrote:

>
> Am 06.09.2012 um 01:14 schrieb Alain Schremmer:
>
>> Here are the four search and replace that I need to make and that  
>> the Ogrekit does very nicely:
>>
>> =========================
>> 1	Search string: (Copy full line)
>>
>> \ifthenelse{\boolean{Quiz?}}%
>>
>> 	Replace string: (Copy two full lines)
>>
>> %SSSSSSSSSSSS
>> \ifthenelse{\boolean{Quiz?}}%
>>
>>
>> =========================
>> =========================
>> 3	Search string: (Copy two full lines)
>>
>> %SSSSSSSSSSSS
>> \ifthenelse{\boolean{Quiz?}}%
>>
>> 	Replace string: (Copy all full lines)
>>
>> %SSSSSSSSSSSS
>> \ifthenelse{\boolean{Workout?}}%
>> {%begin Workout? true
>> %ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss 
>>  - Begin WORKOUT
>> \UseProblem{\CheckableItem-w}%
>> 		{%
>> WORKOUTtext%
>> 		}{%
>> 			$a$%
>> 			}{%
>> 			$b$%
>> 			}{%
>> 			$c$%
>> 			}{%
>> 			$d$%
>> 		}{%
>> 			x%
>> 		}{%
>> WORKOUTdiscussion%
>> 		}%
>> %ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss 
>>  - End WORKOUT
>> }%end Workout? true
>> {%begin Workout? false
>> \ifthenelse{\boolean{Quiz?}}%
>>
>>
>> =========================
>
> If I read that correctly, then case #1 should turn into the  
> replacement text of case #3, yes?

No. These are not 4 cases but four search-and-replace that I have to  
do in that order on each form. A look at September 3 post will show  
you better what I have to do.

> When OgreKit works so nice, then why don't you perform the  
> substitutions that way? Open all the TEX files which need the  
> changes in TeXShop (this can be done from Finder by selecting them  
> and then using Ctrl-click to choose "Open with" and then selecting  
> TeXShop as application to handle them). Apply the first text  
> substitution in the first file – and save it! Then proceed to next  
> TEX file and repeat the same text substitution – the OgreKit has  
> saved the substitution, didn't it? So just fire it up once more!  
> Save the file and proceed with next one. With n (tres)passes you  
> repetitively update n times m files.

That is exactly what I did when I said I was doing them by hand. But  
we are talking over 1800 files in 36 folders!!!!

These "forms" are all strictly identical so that, were they blank, I  
would just do the search and replace in one, duplicate the modified  
form 50 times, use Applescript to remove "copy", put them in a folder  
and make 35 copies of that folder, remove "copy" from their names.  
Done deed.

What is happening here is that these forms are filled with data. I  
could transfer the data in the modified forms produced as above but  
THAT would surely have to be done by hand and would be even more work.

> Your text substitutions are a bit too complicated for specialised  
> programmes like sed or maybe Perl. Text editors like vi or GNU Emacs  
> could be used too…

I fervently hope that TextWrangler's multiple files search and replace  
will do it: it seems able to handle carriage returns which sed won't  
do. I will know for sure tomorrow.

Best regards
--schremmer