Actions

This tab determines the text to be searched for, or search/replaced.

Generate a Hyperlink report

The Link Report is enabled when the Generate a hyperlink report checkbox is checked, AS WELL AS at least one search replace being performed in the Hyperlink address field. It displays both the original and modified urls which is very useful to check new links before they are changed.

Load from file

When checked, search/replace pairs are loaded from a file dynamically at run time - from Excel (.XLS files), Comma Separated Value (.CSV files) or Tab-delimited (.TAB files) formats. The current search type, search location and other options are used for every search/replace pair added. A list can also be imported using an option in the Options menu.

For the complete file format details, please click here. You can find sample import files in the Samples folder (in .tab, .csv and .xls format).

WordPipe can handle an unlimited number of replacements - but Microsoft Excel is limited to 65534 rows of data. You can work around this limit by loading multiple files from the command line. Note - despite Microsoft Excel 2007 and later being able to handle 1 million rows, it is unable to provide data beyond 65535 rows to WordPipe. To work around this, save your Microsoft Excel data to a .CSV or .TAB temporary file so that WordPipe can import all the data.

Note: Loading large lists from Excel is very slow - export your list to .CSV or .TAB and then import that instead.

Using these values

Uses the search/replace pairs specified in the grid. Click the [Add] button to add a new row to the end of the grid. To delete rows, first select them and then click [Delete]. To edit a row, click it, and then press [F2], or click the cell a second time. You can [Tab] and [Shift-Tab] through the grid. You can change the search settings for multiple rows simultaneously by first selecting them and then changing the search settings below. You can move rows using drag and drop. Copy rows by selecting them and then clicking [Copy]. Clear All rows by clicking [Clear All].

Find what

Type the information you want to search for or paste it from the Clipboard. The Find text is limited by Microsoft Word to be a maximum length of 255 characters. You can workaround this - see the faq online. You can right click this field for a popup menu with Cut, Copy, Paste and Clear commands.

Note: You can only search for one line of text at a time. If you wish to use multiple lines, see the special characters section.

Searching for multiple lines

Although the edit field can hold multiple lines of text, Microsoft Word does NOT allow you to search for multiple lines at once (and WordPipe cannot get around this limitation). The best way to search for multiple lines is to break them up into several line-by-line or phrase-by-phrase searches. The multi-line edit box is used to display very long phrases or lines with word wrapping, NOT for searching for multiple lines at once.

Searching for Embedded Files or Links/Hyperlinks

Updating links is the most common use of WordPipe. There are several ways in which links are stored in Microsoft Word:

1. As a hyperlink. To replace these, you need to search each document location (Body, Header, Footer etc), AND the Inside hyperlinks search location
2. As a field code. To replace these, you need to search each document location (Body, Header, Footer etc), but with the Inside field codes option on, AND you need to ensure you double up each backslash in your search and replace string, otherwise you will NOT find your search text e.g. this is how they look when field codes are on {HYPERLINK "\\\\bnepf5\\data"}
3. As an embedded link - as seen under Microsoft Word's Edit Menu\Links dialog. To replace these, you need to check the search location Links (OLE and DDE).

Example: Search for: \\bnefp5\data, and replace with: \\osrhome\data

* Note that backslashes in the filename are ONLY doubled when searching inside field codes.

Another issue is that spaces in filenames can be represented as both ' ' or '%20'. WordPipe checks for this situation, and if a search fails it tries both types of space. There are other characters than can be escaped (to %XX form) - you need to handle these yourself.

Replace with

Type the text that you want to use as replacement text or paste if from the Clipboard. Leave the Replace With box empty to delete the Find What box from your document. You can right click this field for a popup menu with Cut, Copy, Paste and Clear commands. See the special characters section.

Search Type

Normal search

Matches the text exactly as written.

Use wildcards

Searches for wildcards or special characters you added to the Find What box. If the Use Wildcards check box is cleared, WordPipe considers the wildcards and special search operators to be plain text e.g.

Sounds like

Finds words that sound the same as the Find What text but are spelled differently.

Find all word forms

Replaces all forms of the word in the Find What box with appropriate forms of the word in the Replace With box. The Find What and Replace With words should be of the same part of speech, for example, both nouns or both verbs. This option is unavailable if you've selected the Use Wildcards or Sounds Like check box.

EasyPattern wildcards

Important Note: This search type ONLY applies to the search locations Inside Hyperlink Addresses, Inside Subdocument Filenames, Built in/Custom Properties, Bookmark Names, Form drop down Choices and Document template. If you attempt to use it in the Body, Header, Footer etc it will result in a normal search. For wildcard searches in the Body, Header, Footer etc, your only option is Microsoft Word's inbuilt wildcards.

An EasyPattern allows you to search for a class of text strings rather than specifying every single possibility. For example, to search for a dollar sign followed by a currency amount:

$[ capture(1+ digits, period, 2 digits) ]

Replace With:

USD $1

Click here for the EasyPattern basics and reference.

EasyPatterns are easier to learn and use than perl regex patterns, but to use them in other packages you need to use EasyPattern Helper to convert them to perl regex.

Perl regex wildcards

Important Note: This search type ONLY applies to the search locations Inside Hyperlink Addresses, Inside Subdocument Filenames, Built in/Custom Properties, Bookmark Names, Form drop down Choices and Document template. If you attempt to use it in the Body, Header, Footer etc it will result in a normal search. For wildcard searches in the Body, Header, Footer etc, your only option is Microsoft Word's inbuilt wildcards.

A perl regex pattern allows you to search for a class of text strings rather than specifying every single possibility. For example, to search for a dollar sign followed by a currency amount:

\$(\d+\.\d{2})

Replace With:

USD $1

Click here for the Perl regex reference.

Perl regex patterns are harder to learn and use than EasyPatterns, but they are support by a huge range of applications.

Search location

You can control whether to search in one or more search locations:

Body

Searches inside the main body.

Headers

Searches inside all headers.

Footers

Searches inside all footers.

Inside hyperlinks

Searches inside hyperlink addresses. If you want to change the displayed text (not the hyperlink itself), please use a Body Search instead of, or in addition to this option. This option can be used to search and replace hyperlinks to update server names, UNC paths etc. We recommend that the Match Case option be unchecked, so that both upper case and lower case data can be found. The whole word option is ignored. You can use any search type, including EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns.

If the hyperlink address and display text are identical they will be updated simultaneously. WordPipe treats the two representations of space (' ' and '%20') as equivalent, however other escaped characters (in %XX form) need to be handle manually.

Note also that sometimes the display text of a hyperlink is completely different to the actual link. To be sure that what you are replacing is correct, right click on the hyperlink in Word and choose 'Edit Hyperlink'. You may have to perform one search for the display text and another search for the hyperlink text.

Inside subdocument filenames

We have now adopted a new approach (for details see below) - that of reporting on the subdocument names requiring manual change.

We recommend that the Match Case option be unchecked, so that both upper case and lower case data can be found. The whole word option is ignored, and only a normal search can be carried out.

Notes: Unfortunately Microsoft Word (even the latest version) makes this quite difficult. The subdocument name cannot be updated directly (it is read-only), so the old subdocument name must be deleted and then then new subdocument name added. This means that the subdocument position will change, which is an unfortunate side-effect. Microsoft Word also prompts for the document to be saved. If you have more than one filename change to make, each time Word opens the document you will have to select 'Yes' to continue opening the file without opening any subdocuments that cannot be found.

This search location supports the use of EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns (see above).

Inside shapes/text boxes and Inside inline shapes/text boxes

Searches inside the text of shapes/text boxes and inline shapes/inline text boxes. Note: This DOES NOT and CANNOT search graphic images! It can only search and replace text that you could otherwise replace yourself.

We recommend that the Match Case option be unchecked, so that both upper case and lower case data can be found. The whole word option is ignored, and only a normal search can be carried out.

Built in properties

Searches inside the document properties such as

• Title

• Subject

• Author

• Company

• Manager

• Keywords

• Comments

• Template

• Last Author

• Revision Number

• Application Name

• Last Print Date

• Creation Date

• Last Save Time

• Total Editing Time

• Category

• Format

This search location supports the use of EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns (see above).

Note - some of these properties are Read Only.

Custom properties

Replaces inside custom document properties that have been defined by the user.

This search location supports the use of EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns (see above).

Bookmark names

Replaces inside bookmark names. You must ensure that the new name still conforms to Microsoft Word's rules about bookmark names, with no spaces and no special characters.

This search location supports the use of EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns (see above).

Form drop down choices

Replaces inside the list of drop down choices of a form field.

This search location supports the use of EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns (see above).

Document Template

Replaces inside the Document Template name. Note: If Microsoft Word cannot find the template document, it will reset the template document to the default normal template, and search/replacing the original/expected template path will never work. If you open the document, Microsoft Word will still display the name and path of the original template path, but what WordPipe sees is the default normal template instead.

So before you make the change, you need both the old and new template locations to be available.

This search location supports the use of EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns (see above).

Code Modules

Searches inside VBA Code Modules. If the modules are password-protected, enter this password on the Options tab, Password to Unprotect field. See Code Module Security.

This search location supports the use of EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns (see above).

Links (OLE and DDE)

This search location supports the use of EasyPatterns and Perl regex patterns (see above).

Match case

Distinguishes between UPPERCASE and lowercase letters. When Match Case is selected, WordPipe finds only those instances in which the capitalization matches the text you typed in the Find What box. This box may be disabled depending on the Search Type selected.

Find whole words only

Searches for occurrences that are whole words and not part of a larger word. This box may be disabled depending on the Search Type selected. It is not available for searching inside hyperlinks and subdocument names.

Inside field codes

Toggles field codes on (i.e. displays what is hidden inside the field codes) before searching.

If you are replacing filenames within the field codes, you will need to double up any backslashes, and \ is used as an escape character. You may also need to check Options tab\Force Word to Save Changes - This command requires Word to execute a Select All, Update All Fields command to update the links. This may also update other fields.

Note: Merge field are NOT field codes. You do not need to check Inside field codes to replace them.

Note 2: Wildcards and sounds-like cannot be used in conjunction with the 'Inside field codes' option.

Replace first only

Only replaces the first instance of the search text.

Prompt

When checked, displays the found text and asks for confirmation before replacing it.

You can choose to Replace or Skip just one, the remainder in the current file, or the remainder for the whole job.

Note: Prompting is not supported for every Look In location.

Skip Prompt if Identical

If the search text is identical after replacing it, then skip showing the prompt. This can be very useful when using pattern matching which may not alter the text.

Highlight replacement

Where possible, the replaced text is highlighted to make it easier to find. If you use Microsoft Word 2003 or earlier, the highlight color can only be one of 16 standard colors, so the color you choose is automatically matched to the closest available color.

Match half/full width forms (double-byte support only)

When checked, Unicode (double-byte) characters match only Unicode (double-byte) characters. When unchecked, Unicode (double-byte) characters match their ANSI (single-byte) equivalents.

You can use this argument only if you've selected or installed double-byte language support in Microsoft Word, such as for Japanese.

Match Kashida (Arabic only)

Check this box to match text with matching kashidas in an Arabic language document.

Match Diacritics (right-to-left languages)

Check this box to match text with matching diacritics in a right-to-left language document.

Match Alef Hamza (Arabic only)

Check this box to match text with matching alef hamzas in an Arabic language document.

Match Control

Check this box to match text with matching bidirectional control characters in a right-to-left language document