Dialog Boxes — Replace in Files dialog box

# Replace in Files dialog box

This dialog box appears when the Replace in Files command is selected. You can specify a string to find, among other options to find in files.

## Find drop-down list box

Enter a string to search for. If this is a multi-line text box, you can enter newline characters by pressing CTRL + ENTER. While the drop-down list is open, you may press ALT + DELETE to clear the selected history item.

## > button

Click this button to show the list of available commands.

Selected Text or Word at Cursor | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the Find drop-down list box with the selected text or the word at cursor.
Selected Text | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the Find drop-down list box with the selected text.
Word at Cursor | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the Find drop-down list box with the word at cursor.
Last Used Value | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the Find drop-down list box with the last used string.
Fixed Value | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the Find drop-down list box with the string set as the fixed value.
Auto Save | Saves the option (Selected Text, Word at Cursor, Last Used Value or Fixed Value) as the default for the next time the dialog box is displayed.
Multiline | Toggles between singleline and multiline of the drop-down list box.
Use editor font | When this is checked, the Find/Replace drop-down list boxes uses the same font as the editor.
Select from Batch List | Selects a string to search for from the batch list.
Swap Find and Replace strings | Swaps Find and Replace strings.

The commands also includes the list of available escape sequences or regular expressions. Selecting an item from the list will insert the selected item into the text box next to the button.

## Replace with drop-down list box

Enter a string with which you would like to replace the found string. If this is a multi-line text box, you can enter newline characters by pressing CTRL + ENTER. While the drop-down list is open, you may press ALT + DELETE to clear the selected history item.

## File Types drop-down list box

File types to search within. Wild cards (* and ?) can be used. Also multiple files can be separated with semicolons (;).

## > button

Click this button to show the list of available commands.

Current File Type | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the File Types drop-down list using the current file type.
Current File Extension | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the File Types drop-down list using the current file extension.
Current File | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the File Types drop-down list using the current file.
Last Used Value | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the File Types drop-down list box with the last used string.
Fixed Value | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the File Types drop-down list box with the string set as the fixed value.
Wildcard | When this is checked, you can use wildcard characters to specify file types.
Regular Expression | When this is checked, you can use regular expressions to specify file types.
Auto Save | Saves the option (Current File Type, Current File Extension, Current File or Last Used Value) as the default for the next time the dialog box is displayed.

The commands also includes the list of available escape sequences or regular expressions. Selecting an item from the list will insert the selected item into the text box next to the button.

## In Folder drop-down list box

Specify the folder to be searched.

## > button

Click this button to show the list of available commands.

Current Folder | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the In Folder drop-down list box with the current folder.
Parent Folder | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the In Folder drop-down list box with the current parent folder.
Grand Parent Folder | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the In Folder drop-down list box with the current grandparent folder.
Root Folder | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the In Folder drop-down list box with the current root folder.
Last Used Value | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the In Folder drop-down list box with the last used string.
Fixed Value | When this is checked, the dialog box initializes the In Folder drop-down list box with the string set as the fixed value.
Browse | Allows you to browse or search for the desired folder.
Browse and Add | Allows you to browse or search for the desired folder, and add to the existing specified folders.
Auto Save | Saves the option (Current Folder, Parent Folder, Grand Parent Folder, Root Folder, Last Used Value or Browse) as the default for the next time the dialog box is displayed.

The commands also includes the list of available escape sequences or regular expressions. Selecting an item from the list will insert the selected item into the text box next to the button.

## Match Case check box

Match cases when searching for a string.

## Look in Subfolders check box

Looks in subfolders of In Folder drop-down list box.

## Match Whole Word check box

Search words only. A word is defined as a string that begins and ends with any of these characters: A – Z, a – z, 0 – 9, or an underscore. Strings surrounded by full-width characters are considered as words. When using regular expressions, this check box may not work correctly. When using regular expressions, please use word boundary expressions (\<, \>, and \b) instead.

## Close when Finished check box

Close the dialog box when finished searching or replacing.

## Keep Modified Files Open check box

If this box is checked, changes to files will not be made immediately; all files that have had changes made will be left open. Thus you can save the changes after you verify them. After you replace in files with this option checked, you can select the Save and Close All command if you are satisfied with the changes, or select the Close All without Saving command if you wish to undo the changes. If this box is not checked, the maximum number of files to be replaced is limited to 32.

If this box is not checked, you will not be able to undo the changes. It is recommended that you make backups before you replace in files.

How to specify the carriage return (\r) and the line feed (\n) depends on this check box when you use a regular expression to specify a string to replace. If checked, specify \n without distinguishing the carriage return or the line feed. If not checked, the carriage return (\r) and the line feed (\n) must be distinguished when specified.

## Save Backups check box

If this box is checked, the backups of the original files will be created in a folder specified in the Backup Folder text box. If the Look in Subfolders check box is checked, the original folder tree will be conserved in the backup folder.

## (None) radio button

Specifies that the string should match literally.

## Regular Expressions radio button

Enables regular expressions.

## Escape Sequence radio button

Enables escape sequences. You can use the following characters as escape sequences.

\a | Warning (Bell)
\b | Backspace
\f | Form feed
\n | Newline character
\t | Horizontal tab
\v | Vertical tab
\\ | Backslash
\oooooo | Unicode character in octal notation
\xhhhh | Unicode character in hexadecimal notation

A null character (\0) may not be used. \n must be used instead of \r.

## Number Range radio button

Enables number range expressions.

## Backup Folder text box

If the Save Backups check box is checked, it will specify the file to copy the original.

## Encoding drop-down list box

Select the encoding. If you select Configured Encoding, the encoding associated with the opened file extension will be selected.

## Detect All check box

Statistically detect code page from all available code pages. The detection can make mistakes especially when the file is very small. This option does not include HTML/XML charset detection.

## Detect HTML/XML Charset check box

Find "charset=..." from HTML files, "encoding=..." from XML files, or "#coding=..." from Python and Ruby files, and use the corresponding encoding. If you open HTML, XML, Python, or Ruby files, check only this option and clear the other options.

## Detect UTF-8 check box

Statistically detect UTF-8.

## Save Settings check box

Saves the encoding-related options (Encoding drop-down list box, and Detect All, Detect HTML/XML Charset, and Detect UTF-8 check boxes) as default so that these options will be restored next time when you open this dialog box.

## Stop if number of matches reaches check box/text box

EmEditor will stop searching files if the number of matches reaches the specified value when this check box is set.

## Find button

Start searching with the specified condition.

## Replace All button

Click this button to start replacing in files.

## << Find button

Click this button to save the current string to find and options, close the current dialog box, and display the Find in Files dialog box.

## Close button

Click this button to close the dialog box.

## Advanced button

Click this button to display the Advanced dialog box to set advanced options.

## Add to Batch button

Adds the current settings to the batch list. Click the ▼ button to show the menu.

## ▼ button

Add a Linked File... | Select a TSV file that contains multiple find and replace strings separated by newlines. This is similar to Import, but a linked file only contains find and replace strings. A linked file also uses less memory, because the file is shown as one entry in the Replace list box. Each line of a linked file contains the find string, a tab, and the replace string.

## Batch >> button

Toggles between the Replace in Files dialog box and the Batch Replace in Files dialog box.

The following controls appear only when the dialog box extends to the Batch Replace in Files dialog box.

## Save to Batch button

Saves the current settings to the batch list.

## List box

Displays the list of find and replace combinations to be used for the batch process. The following abbreviations are used for the Condition column.

C | Match Case
R | Use Regular Expressions
W | Search Only Word
E | Match Only Embedded Newlines in CSV
S | Treat CR and LF Separately
D | Regular Expression "." can Match Newlines
B | Use Boost.Regex as the Regular Expression Engine
O | Use Onigmo as the Regular Expression Engine

## Enable/Disable All check box

Enables or disables all items in the list.

## Import button

Imports a previously exported TSV file containing the Find strings, Replace with strings and conditions.

## Export button

Exports defined replace conditions into a file. The file format can be a TSV, JavaScript or VBScript macro format.

## Bulk Find button

Click this button to search for the selected items simultaneously.

## Batch Find button

Click this button to find the selected items. Clicking the ▼ button on the right will display a context menu, where you can access the Batch Options dialog box.

## Bulk Replace All button

Replaces all strings in the specified documents using the batch list. See Difference Batch and Bulk for more information.

## Batch Replace All button

Replaces all strings in the specified documents using the batch list.

## << Batch button

Toggles between the Batch Replace in Files dialog box and the Replace in Files dialog box.

This dialog box can be resized by dragging the right-bottom corner of the dialog box. When the dialog box becomes larger, a multi-line string can be entered as a search term. While multi-line text box is enabled, CTRL + ENTER key can be used to insert newline characters.

The following dialog box is also available through this dialog box.

Advanced dialog box (Select Advanced button)

Extract Options dialog box (Select Extract Options)

Batch Options dialog box (Select Batch Options)