Search and Replace ()

Controller > search & replace

Some lists, such as lists of filenames, allow for searching and replacing.

The point of it

If your text data has been moved from one PC to another, or one drive to another, it will be necessary to edit all the filenames if WordSmith ever needs to get at the source texts, such as when computing a concordance from a word list.)

How it works

Like a search operation, the search operates on the current column of data.

The context line shows what has been found.

The line below shows what will happen if you agree to the change.

Yes: make 1 change (the highlighted one), then search for the next one

Skip: leave this one unchanged, search for the next one

Yes All: change without any check

Skip All: stop searching...

Whole word – or bung in an asterisk

The syntax is as in Concord, so by default a whole word search. To search for a suffix or prefix, use the asterisk. Thus *ed will find any entry ending in ed; un* will find any entry starting with un. *book* will find any entry with book in it (book, textbook, booked.)

Word lists can be sorted by suffix: see WordList sorting.

See also: Searching by Typing, Searching with F12, Accented Characters & Symbols.