Find & Replace Tool

Complete Guide to the Find & Replace Tool

Master text manipulation with this comprehensive find and replace tool that offers advanced features for precise text editing.

What is the Find & Replace Tool?

The Find & Replace Tool is an advanced text manipulation application designed for writers, developers, editors, and data professionals who need sophisticated text processing capabilities. Built with Svelte 5 and modern web technologies, this tool provides real-time text transformation with extensive customization options.

Core Features & Capabilities

Basic Find & Replace

• Real-time search and replace functionality
• Case-sensitive and case-insensitive matching
• Whole word matching for precise replacements
• Regular expression support for complex patterns
• Replace first occurrence or all occurrences
• Live preview with highlighted matches

Advanced Features

• Batch operations for multiple find/replace rules
• Undo/redo functionality with full history
• Pattern replacements with variables
• Text transformations (uppercase, lowercase, title case)
• Export results to Excel
• Keyboard shortcuts for efficiency

How to Use the Find & Replace Tool

Step 1: Input Your Text

Paste or type your text into the input area. The tool processes text in real-time and provides immediate feedback.

Step 2: Configure Search Options

Enter the text you want to find and the replacement text. Choose from these options:

• Case Sensitive: Match exact capitalization
• Whole Word: Match complete words only
• Regular Expression: Use regex patterns for complex matching
• Highlight Matches: Visually highlight found text

Step 3: Perform Replacements

Use the action buttons to execute replacements:

• Replace: Replace the next occurrence
• Replace All: Replace all occurrences at once
• Undo/Redo: Navigate through your edit history

Step 4: Use Advanced Features

Switch between tabs to access advanced functionality:

• Batch Tab: Set up multiple find/replace operations
• Advanced Tab: Use pattern replacements and text transformations

Regular Expression Support

The tool supports powerful regular expressions for complex text manipulation:

Basic Patterns

• ^ - Start of line
• $ - End of line
• . - Any character
• * - Zero or more of previous character
• + - One or more of previous character
• ? - Zero or one of previous character

Character Classes

• \\d - Any digit
• \\w - Any word character
• \\s - Any whitespace
• [abc] - Any of the characters a, b, or c
• [^abc] - Any character except a, b, or c

Examples

Find: \\b\\d3-\\d2-\\d4\\b
Replace: XXX-XX-XXXX
// Replaces Social Security numbers with masked version

Find: (\\w+)@(\\w+\\.\\w+)
Replace: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
// Replaces email addresses

Batch Operations

The Batch tab allows you to set up multiple find/replace operations:

1. Click "Add Operation" to create a new rule
2. Enter find and replace text for each operation
3. Enable or disable individual operations
4. Click "Apply Batch Operations" to execute all enabled rules

Pattern Replacements

Pattern Replacements allow you to insert dynamic content into your replacement text using special variables. These variables are processed during the actual replacement operation, making them perfect for creating sequential numbers, timestamps, or unique identifiers.

Available Pattern Variables

• $counter - Insert incremental numbers (1, 2, 3...)
• $date - Insert current date
• $time - Insert current time
• $uuid - Insert random UUID

How to Use Pattern Replacements

1. Access Advanced Tab: Click the "Advanced" tab in the main controls
2. Insert Variables: Click any pattern button (Counter, Date, Time, UUID) to add it to your replacement field
3. Configure Find Pattern: Enter the text or regex pattern you want to match
4. Execute Replacement: Click "Replace All" to process all matches with dynamic content

Detailed Examples

1. Creating Numbered Lists with $counter

Use Case: Convert a list of items into numbered tasks

Item one
Item two
Item three
Item four

Task 1: one
Task 2: two
Task 3: three
Task 4: four

2. Adding Timestamps with $date and $time

Use Case: Add creation timestamps to log entries

ERROR: Connection failed
WARNING: Low memory
INFO: Process started

ERROR: Connection failed - 10/25/2024 2:30:15 PM
WARNING: Low memory - 10/25/2024 2:30:15 PM
INFO: Process started - 10/25/2024 2:30:15 PM

3. Generating Unique IDs with $uuid

Use Case: Add unique identifiers to data records

John Doe, Engineer
Jane Smith, Manager
Bob Johnson, Analyst

a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7g8h-9i0j-1k2l3m4n5o6p,John Doe, Engineer
b2c3d4e5-f6g7-8h9i-0j1k-2l3m4n5o6p7q,Jane Smith, Manager
c3d4e5f6-g7h8-9i0j-1k2l-3m4n5o6p7q8r,Bob Johnson, Analyst

4. Combining Multiple Variables

Use Case: Create comprehensive log entries with multiple metadata

File uploaded successfully
User login detected
Payment processed

[10/25/2024 2:30:15 PM] Event #1: File uploaded successfully (ID: d4e5f6g7-h8i9-0j1k-2l3m-4n5o6p7q8r9s)
[10/25/2024 2:30:15 PM] Event #2: User login detected (ID: e5f6g7h8-i9j0-1k2l-3m4n-5o6p7q8r9s0t)
[10/25/2024 2:30:15 PM] Event #3: Payment processed (ID: f6g7h8i9-j0k1-2l3m-4n5o-6p7q8r9s0t1u)

Pattern Replacements in Batch Operations

You can also use pattern variables in batch operations. Each operation maintains its own counter sequence:

Important Notes

• Counter Reset: The $counter starts from 1 for each replacement operation
• Single vs All: Use "Replace All" to process multiple matches with sequential counters
• Regex Required: Most pattern replacements work best with regex enabled for precise matching
• Real-time Processing: Variables are evaluated at replacement time, not when inserted

Text Transformations

Transform selected text with built-in functions:

• UPPERCASE: Convert to all uppercase
• lowercase: Convert to all lowercase
• Title Case: Capitalize the first letter of each word

Export Functionality

Export your results to Excel for further analysis:

• Summary sheet with operation details
• Original and modified text
• Batch operation configurations
• Timestamped files for tracking

Keyboard Shortcuts

Practical Use Cases

Data Processing & Automation

• Convert plain text lists to numbered sequences using $counter
• Add timestamps to log files with $date and $time
• Generate unique identifiers for data anonymization using $uuid
• Create SQL insert statements from CSV data with sequential IDs
• Standardize date formats across multiple documents

Content Management

• Convert TODO comments to numbered task lists
• Add creation metadata to documents
• Generate unique slugs for blog posts
• Create audit trails with timestamps
• Standardize naming conventions across projects

Code Refactoring

• Rename variables and functions
• Update import paths
• Replace deprecated syntax
• Standardize code formatting

Privacy Protection

• Mask sensitive information (SSN, emails, phone numbers)
• Remove personal identifiers
• Anonymize datasets
• Redact confidential content

Best Practices

Before Starting

• Always backup your original text
• Test with small samples first
• Use "Replace" instead of "Replace All" for sensitive operations
• Enable "Whole Word" for precise matching

Regular Expressions

• Test regex patterns before applying
• Use capturing groups (parentheses) effectively
• Escape special characters when needed
• Consider performance with large texts

Batch Operations

• Order operations from specific to general
• Test each operation individually first
• Use descriptive find/replace text
• Enable only the operations you need

Technical Implementation

Svelte 5 Features Used

• Runes: $state, $derived, $effect
• Snippets: Modern component composition
• TypeScript: Full type safety
• Reactive Updates: Real-time text processing

Performance Optimizations

• Debounced updates for large texts
• Efficient regex compilation
• Memory management for history
• Lazy rendering of highlighted matches

Troubleshooting

Advanced Examples

Pattern Replacement Examples

Creating Sequential Task Lists

Find: \\bTask\\b
Replace: Task $counter (with regex enabled)

Converts "Task", "Task", "Task" to "Task 1", "Task 2", "Task 3"

Adding Timestamps to Log Entries

Find: ^(\\w+): (.*)$
Replace: [$date $time] $1: $2 (with regex enabled)

Adds timestamps to structured log entries

Generating Unique Database Records

Find: ^([^,]+),([^,]+)$
Replace: INSERT INTO users VALUES ('$uuid', '$1', '$2'); (with regex enabled)

Converts CSV data to SQL insert statements with unique IDs

Complex Regex Examples

Data Anonymization

Find: \\b\\d3-\\d2-\\d4\\b
Replace: SSN-$counter (with regex enabled)

Replaces Social Security numbers with sequential identifiers

Email Standardization

Find: ([a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+)@([a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,})
Replace: $1@company.com (with regex enabled)

Standardizes email domains while preserving usernames

Batch Operation Patterns

Pattern replacements work in batch operations too:

• Operation 1: Find ERROR → Replace Issue $counter: $1
• Operation 2: Find TODO → Replace Task $counter: $1

Each operation maintains its own counter sequence.

This Find & Replace Tool combines powerful functionality with an intuitive interface, making it perfect for text manipulation tasks of any complexity. Whether you're cleaning data, refactoring code, or editing content, this tool provides the features and flexibility you need.