Regex search and replace

dwlamb · 04-08-2013, 01:32 PM

I have a file I am trying to clean up. It was converted from a pdf to epub and many new paragraphs were inserted where not necessary.

I stink at regular expression syntax for replace. To find the errant code, I have success with this:

Code:

</p>\n\n <p class="calibre2">[a-z]

For the replace string I merely wish to substitute <space> and whatever is found with the [a-z] component of the search string.

An example would be this:

Code:

.....the</p>

  <p class="calibre2">cat....

I want the replace to result as "...the cat ..."

Turtle91 · 04-08-2013, 02:02 PM

Thee are several examples of good regex to join lines like this. Here is a very basic/limited example that might help:

Search: ([a-e])</p>\s*<p class="calibre2">([a-z])
Replace: \1 \2 (space between \1 and \2)

But I would recommend doing a quick search of the forum for those example regexes (try the first sticky)....they have some great stuff!

Cheers,

mrmikel · 04-08-2013, 03:10 PM

I would not fully trust any of them. Use them to find them and hit find/replace repeatedly to get rid of them, but there are places where there is a picture at a page, then there are ends of paragraphs, while others should be joined together.

Whatever regex you select try it for perhaps 20 pages, one at a time on find and see if you like where it does its thing. If it works for you, then go for it.

dwlamb · 04-12-2013, 07:46 AM

Thanks all for the advice.

mrmikel you are right. I never trust extensive search and replace even before dipping my toe in regex.

For this reason, I have moved editing my epubs out of Sigil. I export all the files to a mirror directory structure on my system and edit using text editors with better search and replace features than the engine provided in Sigil.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmikel

I would not fully trust any of them. Use them to find them and hit find/replace repeatedly to get rid of them, but there are places where there is a picture at a page, then there are ends of paragraphs, while others should be joined together.

Whatever regex you select try it for perhaps 20 pages, one at a time on find and see if you like where it does its thing. If it works for you, then go for it.

mrmikel · 04-12-2013, 08:59 AM

Do you know you can right click on a given file in the book browser and open it in an external program, like Notepad ++, or a graphics editor, while still remaining in Sigil?

I find this gives the best of both worlds.

As far as search and replace, no matter what program you use, you still have to be thoughtful because I am always finding one particular odd situation I didn't think of. For me with editing documents which come out of PDFs sometimes, there are errors no s/r can handle, like spaces in odd places in the middle of words. And there is no hope if the word starts with a letter like a that can stand by itself in a spell check. (sigh)

theducks · 04-12-2013, 09:14 AM

There is no substitute for careful (and sometimes, tedious) hand editing.

Mr.
Smith

and so it went . . .
. . . The world ended with a whimper.

A.B.
C. Company

Monsters
Inc.

All you can do is automate the easy ones

then get to work on the rest

Tex2002ans · 04-12-2013, 02:34 PM

I just answered this question last month (and again a few weeks ago). These are the regex I use to combine paragraphs from broken paragraphs from PDFs:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...89#post2446589

04-08-2013, 01:32 PM	#1
dwlamb Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2013 Device: Android Smartphone	Regex search and replace I have a file I am trying to clean up. It was converted from a pdf to epub and many new paragraphs were inserted where not necessary. I stink at regular expression syntax for replace. To find the errant code, I have success with this: Code: </p>\n\n <p class="calibre2">[a-z] For the replace string I merely wish to substitute <space> and whatever is found with the [a-z] component of the search string. An example would be this: Code: .....the</p> <p class="calibre2">cat.... I want the replace to result as "...the cat ..."

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04-08-2013, 02:02 PM	#2
Turtle91 A Hairy Wizard Posts: 3,093 Karma: 18727053 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charleston, SC today Device: iPhone 11/X/6/iPad 1,2,Air & Air Pro/Surface Pro/Kindle PW & Fire	Thee are several examples of good regex to join lines like this. Here is a very basic/limited example that might help: Search: ([a-e])</p>\s*<p class="calibre2">([a-z]) Replace: \1 \2 (space between \1 and \2) But I would recommend doing a quick search of the forum for those example regexes (try the first sticky)....they have some great stuff! Cheers,

04-08-2013, 03:10 PM	#3
mrmikel Color me gone Posts: 2,089 Karma: 1445295 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Oregon Coast Device: PRS-300	I would not fully trust any of them. Use them to find them and hit find/replace repeatedly to get rid of them, but there are places where there is a picture at a page, then there are ends of paragraphs, while others should be joined together. Whatever regex you select try it for perhaps 20 pages, one at a time on find and see if you like where it does its thing. If it works for you, then go for it.

04-12-2013, 08:59 AM	#5
mrmikel Color me gone Posts: 2,089 Karma: 1445295 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Oregon Coast Device: PRS-300	Do you know you can right click on a given file in the book browser and open it in an external program, like Notepad ++, or a graphics editor, while still remaining in Sigil? I find this gives the best of both worlds. As far as search and replace, no matter what program you use, you still have to be thoughtful because I am always finding one particular odd situation I didn't think of. For me with editing documents which come out of PDFs sometimes, there are errors no s/r can handle, like spaces in odd places in the middle of words. And there is no hope if the word starts with a letter like a that can stand by itself in a spell check. (sigh)

04-12-2013, 09:14 AM	#6
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,779 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	There is no substitute for careful (and sometimes, tedious) hand editing. Mr. Smith and so it went . . . . . . The world ended with a whimper. A.B. C. Company Monsters Inc. All you can do is automate the easy ones then get to work on the rest

04-12-2013, 02:34 PM	#7
Tex2002ans Wizard Posts: 2,297 Karma: 12126329 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kobo Forma, Nook	I just answered this question last month (and again a few weeks ago). These are the regex I use to combine paragraphs from broken paragraphs from PDFs: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...89#post2446589

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