Other Uses for IDB

Simple Find and Replace using IDB

Display the Instant Database Form.

Type into the left hand column any text that you want replaced throughout the document. While the terms could (and typically will be) variables in the current document, the left-column terms could just as easily be standard words that you simply wish to be replaced with other words.

The Instant Database module is really nothing more than an elaborate “Find & Replace” tool. However, unlike Find & Replace where replacements can be made one at a time, Pathagoras can make replacements 10, 20, 100, etc., at a time.

•	In the right column, type the word or phrase that you want to replace what you have typed at the left.

•	When all “find” and “replace with” terms are listed, press the Next>> button.

•	The questions “Do you want to save the data as a personal record?” will next appear. Unless you want to save the data on the screen for reuse (unlikely in this scenario), answer “No”.

•	Very quickly, Pathagoras will locate each instance of the “find” text and replace it with the corresponding “replace with” text.

Make a ‘Sex Change’ Mask

This is not what you think. This is simply a different application of Pathagoras' Instant Database by which you can reverse ‘he’ and ‘she’ and ‘him’ and ‘her’ throughout an entire document. The following ‘pattern’ of left and right column entries will take care of the issue.

This example also illustrates how the IDB mask can be programmed to handle simple housekeeping chores when you do not want to create an elaborate mask. (Notes: there must be spaces on both ends of each word. Doing so prevents the possibility of the change from 'he' to 'she' from affecting words that contain ‘he’. So ‘the’ (which contains ‘he’) does not become ‘tshe’. The ‘xxx’ suffix serves to make sure that the order of replacements are maintained.

Variable Replacement Text

she shexxx

her [himxxx/hisxxx]

hers hisxxx

female malexxx

woman manxxx

(add any other female sex based term)

he she

him her

his [her/hers]

male female

man woman

hexxx he

hisxxx his

malexxx male

manxxx man

This is but one of any number of ‘transformational’ masks that you could create. (Something like the above is not necessary with a typical ‘Pathagorized’ document. Groupings, discussed on an earlier page can easily take care of gender based pronouns. But the above, and others like it, are ‘cool tricks’ when it comes to modifying documents that have not yet been Pathagorized.)

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