Edit - Replace

Appears with text windows (queries and scripts in a command window, and also comments) and  tables.    Provides Standard Windows find and replace functionality.    Tables do not have a Replace All button, since that is done using the Transform pane in tables.

 

With a table open, the Edit - Replace dialog allows us to find records which have the given value in the specified field and to replace them one by one. The Replace dialog is a simple, typically Windows way to find records in smaller tables.   A similar form of the Replace dialog is used with queries and scripts windows (both of which use a Command Window) and comments  text windows.  Use Ctrl-H as a keyboard shortcut.    When used with text window, a Replace All button appears in the dialog, allowing us to replace all instances of the found string with the desired text.

 

The Replace All button does not appear when the dialog is launched with a table.  Use the various Replace templates in the Transform pane instead.

 

When searching and replacing values in records in mid-sized or larger tables, the Transform pane is a better tool, as are SQL queries.   Filters are also a fast and easy tool that help finding desired records.

 

To find a record with a given value and to replace that value:

 

  1. Open the table.

  2. Choose Edit - Replace or Ctrl-H.

  3. Choose the field to be searched.  

  4. Enter the value desired in the Search For box.

  5. Press Next.

  6. The cursor will jump to the next record with the specified value in the given record.

  7. Press Replace to replace that instance, or press Next to move on to the next occurrence.

 

Important: Searches and replacements proceed from the current record to the last record in the table. To begin at the beginning, we can press Ctrl-Home to jump the table cursor to the first record.

Tables

 

(field box)

Choose the field within which to search.  By default whatever field is the context field for the table cursor will appear.  Any other visible  field in the table may be chosen.    The field box only lists fields currently set as visible in the Layers pane.   Fields that are hidden will not appear in the field box.

Search for

The text value to find.  For example, entering the as a Search for value in a text field will find records which contain text such as Manchester by the Sea.

Replace with

The text value to use as a replacement.

Whole word only

Match the value only when it occurs as an entire word and not a portion of a word. With this option checked, for example, entering the as a Search for value in a text field will find records which contain text such as Manchester by the Sea, but will not match occurrences of those three letters within text such as Heather Village.

Ignore case

Match text regardless of case.   For example, if this option is checked the will match both The and tHe.  

Previous

Searching from the current cursor position in the table backward toward the beginning of the table, find the next instance of the value.

Next

Searching from the current cursor position in the table foreward toward the end of the table, find the next instance of the value.

Replace

Replace the found, searched for text with the Replace with text.

Close

Close the dialog.

 

Text Windows

 

(field box)

Choose the field within which to search.  By default whatever field is the context field for the table cursor will appear.  Any other field in the table may be chosen.

Search for

The text value to find.  For example, entering the as a Search for value in a text field will find records which contain text such as Manchester by the Sea.

Replace with

The text value to use as a replacement.

Whole word only

Match the value only when it occurs as an entire word and not a portion of a word. With this option checked, for example, entering the as a Search for value in a text field will find records which contain text such as Manchester by the Sea, but will not match occurrences of those three letters within text such as Heather Village.

Ignore case

Match text regardless of case.   For example, if this option is checked the will match both The and tHe.  

Previous

Searching from the current cursor position in the table backward toward the beginning of the table, find the next instance of the value.

Next

Searching from the current cursor position in the table foreward toward the end of the table, find the next instance of the value.

Replace

Replace the found, searched for text with the Replace with text.

Replace All

Replace all instances of the searched for text with the Replace with text.

Close

Close the dialog.

 

Notes

Tables are not ordered -   As discussed in the Tables topic and the Table Windows and Big Data essay, tables are not ordered.  If we open a table and use the Find dialog, we should understand that the Previous and Next commands are just for that particular view.  If we close the table and open it again there is no guarantee it will be in the same order.  If we want to see a table in a particular order, we should use a query with an ORDER BY clause and look at the results table.

See Also

Getting Started

 

User Interface Basics

 

Tables

 

Sorting Columns

 

Filters

 

Selection

 

Layers Pane

 

Select Pane

 

Transform Pane

 

Table Windows and Big Data

 

Editing Tables

 

Schema

 

Edit - Find / Find Previous / Find Next

 

View - Filter

 

View - Order

 

Table Windows and Big Data