Usage
First step is to set work-directory for "Search path". It may be directory of your project, or your website or other directories. "Search path" is the directory which Multi Replace will process. All replaces will be made in files of this directory and only in files of this directory.
And if you want that the changes were made only in one file, instead of set of files, it follows you to check a flag "One file only" and enter a path to the file in "Search file".
If you mostly use one directory, you can set default directory for "Search path" in Options. (Look Options). This directory will be shown after starting of Multi Replace.
For changing wrong string to another string in all files of "Search path", type wrong string in "Search for". And type new string in "Replace with".(If you must enter a text from a few lines, simply check the flag "Search multistring text"). And then push button "Replace". All wrong strings will be replaced by new string. To see result you can open any file of your project.
If after replaces you have unexpected results
(Mostly it happens when "Search for" string was found as part of another
word), you can use backup files, which was created by Multi Replace. To
know path of the backup files you have to open
Options dialog. In this dialog you can change
directory of backup files and enable/disable Autobackup.
If you enabled Autobackup you will have possibility to do safe Undo.
Another way to save your original files is to enable flag "Put Results in new folder". Then you have to enter path to the new files. After work of Multi Replace all new files will be placed in this directory and old files will be untouched.
Multi Replace give flexible system of work. Using flag
"Include subdirectories" and setting mask for processed files may seriously
simplify replacing of wrong strings in your project.
(Look Examples)
This is useful to disable flag "Include subdirectories",
if in subdirectories saved other information, where you do not want to do
replacement. And if your project saved in tree of directories, you must enable
this flag to process all files of project.
Masks
of processed files "File types" and "Excluded file types" allow to
haste replacing process (Multi Replace don't process unnecessary files) and make
Multi Replace more flexible. For example, if you want to replace variable name in
files like "*.c", but do not do this replace in other files ("*.cpp", "*.h", ...).
It's easy! Just check mask "*.c" in "File types" and Multi Replace will
process only files you want.
In Multi Replace v2.3 it is new interface of "File types" and "Excluded file types".
Now you can choose set of file types by checking needed types. Also you have abbility
to add new file types (button "+") and delete file types (button "-").
Another new nice possibilities, which take the risk
of unplanned replacements to the zero, are added. This is flags "Case
insensitive", "Whole words only" and "Express replace".
If you want to replace strings "TexT" but not replace
strings "Text", "text", just disable flag "Case insensitive" and Multi Replace
will be distinguish this words.
If a string which you
want to replace is part of other words which it is not necessary to change, then
you must enable the flag "Whole words only". For example, if the flag "Whole
words only" is enabled, replacing of string "Text" will not be change the string
"Texture".
In the most essential projects any change can
be critical, the control of user for the changes is needed in such cases. If you
want to control every change you have to disable the flag of "Express replace".
In this mode Multi Replace will demonstrate every replacement and will offer
additional commands such as "Find Next", "Replace", "Replace all", "Skip this
file", "Replace all in this file".
Multi Replace has big functionality. It not only replace one
string to another. Whith this instrument you can just search text (button "Search"),
delete all search strings, replace strings between specified labels, insert new string
before or after specified string.
Search mode usefull when you not sure in replacement.
In this cases you just click "Search" button and look where Multi Replace found search
string. If you see that all this strings have to be replaced you can start replacement
with no risk.
To change replace or search mode you have to choose one of
Replace Action. We propose to you such modes: Replace With (replacement of one string
to another), Replace Between (replacement all between two labels to needed string),
Delete (find and delete specified string), Insert Before (find label string and insert
before it new string) and Insert Before (find label string and insert after it
new string).
You asked: "When may I use Multi Replace?".
Look Examples