[Framers] Search for text + tag?

[Peter Gold]

As I saw the range of suggestions, I wondered if I'd oversimplified the
issue by working from memory, since I haven't actually fired FM up for a
few years. So, I invoked FM 9 on WinXP SP2 under Parallels on my early 2008
MacBookPro, to see what's what.

Although your original statement of intention seems clear, there's one
possible ambiguity. Ooops, perhaps two ambiguities. One is that the text
string is the only content of the paragraphs whose tags you want to change.
The other is that the text string appears within other paragraph text.

The basic idea for both cases is similar - find the text and paste the tag.
If you don't want to replace all found instances with the new paragraph
tag, then you'll have to inspect each found instance and chose Change > By
Pasting, or Find Next to skip.

If the example text string is exactly the same in all target locations,
then there's no problem. In this case, you want to change the paragraph tag
where the target text resides, to a different paragraph tag; you're not
replacing text.

The process is easiest if you want to find and change all paragraphs where
the target text resides to the same new tag. For example, find "Abc text
string" in all paragraphs no matter how they're tagged, and change only the
tag to, say NewBodyTag, even if some of the target paragraphs are tagged
Body, or Head1, or WhateverTag.

Because of FM's limited Find/Replace feature, you need to do it this way:

* Use the Paragaph Designer to create a paragraph with the target format
tag name and properties. "NewBodyTag" in this case. Tag one paragraph with
this tag (old-timers like me still call this a "Paragraph Format.")

* Select the text string, copy and paste it into the Text area of the
Find/Replace dialog box. Or, manually type it in.

* Select an instance of the NewBodyTag paragraph format. Use Edit > Copy
Special > Paragraph Format. This puts NewBodyTag on the clipboard. FM's
limitation is that the Clipboard can only remember one item, regardless of
what category it belongs to - text, graphic, text property, tag, etc.

* Use Find/Replace to search for the text string, and choose Replace > By
Pasting to paste the NewBodyTag paragraph format; this doesn't change the
found text, it just changes the paragraph format.

Now, if you only want to change only those instances of the text string in
a paragraph that tagged with a specific format, not all instances of the
text string in all paragraphs, then you'll need to keep your eye on the
lower-left corner of the status bar, or the Paragraph Designer, to observe
the name of the currently-selected paragraph format. Click Change by
Pasting to apply the tag from the clipboard to the current paragraph, then
Find Next.

If this is a recurring need, going forward perhaps consider using a text
variable for the repeating text, or a new character tag (AKA Character
Format,) for the repeating text. IIRC, you can create a text variable that
incorporates a named character format.

I've not updated my FM, so I'm not sure if Find & Replace, and Edit > Copy
Special have gotten smarter. If anyone can comment, I'd like to know.
Thanks!

HTH.

On Wed, Jun 21, 2017 at 4:27 PM, Karen Robbins <karendesign at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thanks all for the suggestions. Temporary manual fix in place (this is how
> we get repetitive motion injuries!). After deadline I will try these &
> report back.
>
> Karen
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