Using Replace with an undefined number in a string

[andrewferguson]

Hi,
I am trying to use a replace command within a large number of text files. What I am trying to do is replace text that contains some words, then a number, and then more words. All the words will be the same, but the number could be different.

Code: Select all

put "hello1234beep some text" into theText
replace "hello" & <The Number> & "beep" with "more text" in theText

The number could be any integer, and could have any number of digits.
Also, I will not know the position of the string to replace within the text file. (Otherwise I could just replace word 1, and word 2...)

Any idea how to do what I want?
Thanks,
Andrew

[jacque]

Sounds like a job for the "replaceText" command. That takes a regex expression as the text to search for.

[Klaus]

Hi Andrew,

since my knowledge about REGEX is erm. limited, "replace" would be my choice
...
put 1234 into tNumber
put "hello1234beep some text" into theText
replace ("hello" & tNumber & "beep") with "more text" in theText
...

HInt:
"replace" will replace ALL occurrences of the "text to be replaced" in a variable or field,
so no need to know where they exactly are!

Is that what you are looking for?


Best

Klaus

[jacque]

Klaus, that was my first response too, and then I deleted it and rewrote it to suggest replaceText. The reason is that the OP says the number will always be different, so I assume he's searching for any number inside the text string. If I'm wrong, then I'd prefer "replace" too.

Since my regex is weak too, I didn't have time to go look it up (I think it's pretty simple) but I bet someone else will know it. If I get some time I'll try to remember to look it up. I'm hoping Andrew knows it.

[Klaus]

AHA!

Looks like I completely misunderstood the question...

[Thierry]

Code: Select all

put "hello1234beep some text" into theText
replace "hello" & <The Number> & "beep" with "more text" in theText

The number could be any integer, and could have any number of digits.

You can try this one if your words are fix.
NB: I guess there is no space in between words and the number

Code: Select all

put replaceText( yourtext, "hello\d+beep", "done") 

HTH,

Thierry

[jacque]

I knew you'd have the answer, Thierry.

[Thierry]

I knew you'd have the answer, Thierry.

A votre service, Madame