Simple Find and Replace using IDB

   Display the Instant Database screen (<Alt-D>).

   Type into the left-hand column the text that you want to change, and in the right-hand column the replacement text. Press 'Next'. That's it.

lightbulbsmallThe Instant Database module is really nothing more than an elaborate “Find & Replace” tool. However, unlike Find & Replace where replacements can only 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 will 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 appear. If you plan to reuse this 'find and replace' grouping again for other documents, say "Yes." Otherwise, 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 you with to change. 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

 

redarrowThis 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.)