Re: Utilizing Regexp (or something else) to replace an arbitrary string length of the same character with the same string length of another character.

[tyler <tyler.smith@mail.mcgill.ca>]

"Tim Visher" <tim.visher@gmail.com> writes:

> Yeah, I did consider using replace-string and query-replace-string and
> their ilk.  The issue is that I use the characters I want to replace
> at other locations where I don't want them replaced.  Also, I want to
> replace an arbitrary amount of them at one time.  I actually already
> did the edits that I want done by using query-replace-string.
> However, if the document had been much longer, that really would've
> taken too long.  It doesn't sound like there's a quick way to do this
> in Emacs.  Oh well.
>

This brings to mind the old chestnut:

  Some people, when confronted with a problem, think "I know, I’ll use
  regular expressions." Now they have two problems. --Jamie Zawinski

Evaluate the following (C-x C-e with point after the final ')' ), then
call it with `M-x switcheroo' when point is before the sample text below.
It solves your problem, as I understand it. 


(defun switcheroo ()
  "Replaces multiple consecutive '=' chars with the same number of '*'.
Single '=' are left unmolested"
  (interactive)
  (save-excursion
    (while (search-forward "=")
      (if (looking-at "=")
	  (progn (backward-char 1)
		 (while (looking-at "=")
		   (delete-char 1)
		   (insert "*")))))))

  
==========asdf;lkj asdf= asdflkj = asdf
asflkj ==asdfa;lkj 
aslkj ===as;fl;kj =====asd;flkj 
as;dlfkja sd=============
asdf=asdflkj=asdfas=

=asdf=asdf=
==========================


HTH,

Tyler

-- 
There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale 
returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.
                                       --Mark Twain