[net.micro.mac] Finding/Replacing patterns with tabs

vantreeck@logic.DEC (06/12/85)

      How does one change a pattern containing a tab character using MacWrite
or Edit? Typing a tab in the change window causes the cursor to toggle between
the pattern and replacement fields. Suppose you wanted to change all tabs to
spaces.... I have another editor from Manx that I could use if I get desperate,
but I don't like vi-type editors (nor emacs). Certainly finding/replacing
patterns with tabs is not beyond the power of editors "for the rest of us" -
I hope. 

-George

stro@ur-univax.UUCP (06/13/85)

well... as far as I know, there is no way to change a tab to anything else in
MacWrite.  However, if you want to just get rid of the tabs, just take out the
tab setting marker in the ruler.

darin@tmq.UUCP (Darin Adler) (06/16/85)

> 
>       How does one change a pattern containing a tab character using MacWrite
> or Edit? Typing a tab in the change window causes the cursor to toggle between
> the pattern and replacement fields. Suppose you wanted to change all tabs to
> spaces...I have another editor from Manx that I could use if I get desperate,
> but I don't like vi-type editors (nor emacs). Certainly finding/replacing
> patterns with tabs is not beyond the power of editors "for the rest of us" -
> I hope. 
> 

Well the answer for Edit is simple.  If you hold down the Command (cloverleaf)
key while typing Tab or Return into a Find window, you get a box (undefined
character symbol) which will work for searching for the appropriate control
character.  For MacWrite, something along these lines works: copy a Tab from
the text, paste it into the Find or Change window.

What I would not give for 'vi' style regular expressions, or even a mac 'sed'!

Darin Adler
ihnp4!tmq!darin